Where the Sun Rises
by OrangeFuu
Summary: Promises are binding. Love made him keep his word. Sequel to "When the Truth Rings". InuSan Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **How exciting! The sequel begins. I apologize for the short chapter, but I'm still trying to figure everything out. I always have to deliver a quality story! Enjoy the chapter below and review if you can.

* * *

**Where the Sun Rises  
Chapter One:** Checklist

On the highest cliff, there he stood. The sun was setting, and its orange rays stretched widely across the lands of the East. He couldn't help but marvel at its beauty; he couldn't wait to gain control over this enticing mass of land. He was as sure as ever that she would like it here.

_'No, she'd love it here.'_ He nodded to himself in agreement.

He knew this quest could possibly be a long and arduous one, but he had no intention on abandoning his plan now. Returning to his mate without his claim on the Eastern Lands was not an option. He made her a promise, and he will make good on it.

But another sweeping glance over the forests and rivers he wished to rule made him sigh in slight intimidation. Finally, his rational thought took a second to arise and give him some things to think about. How could he conquer so much land? Sure, his brother told him what he had to do, but did he possess the heart to carry out such acts? He wasn't as cold-blooded as Sesshomaru, but apparently the youkai's actions paid off. He has a kingdom, and he protects innumerable lives. _'Isn't that what I want?'_ he asked himself. He wasn't sure; but he'd find out once his journey was complete.

Taking one last look over the land laid out before him, he prepared himself.

_Task Number One: See who, if anyone, is in charge of this area already._

He took a deep breath, and headed out.

* * *

"Kagome! Shippo! Miroku! The food is ready!" Sango called from her spot in front of the hearth in Kaede's hut. She had placed several bowls and plates in a semicircle around the warming fire when she called for her friends. She had spent the day inside with Kaede to learn a few things about being a mate for when Inuyasha returned. Kaede began her teachings of the demon slayer in the domestic arts of sewing, cleaning things besides her weapons, and keeping a house clean enough for three inhabitants -- it's not just her and Kirara anymore. And after a day of all that, the newly attached woman desperately wanted to see everyone else. 

"Hey Sango!" Shippo called as he entered the hut, with an exhausted Kagome and Miroku in tow. "What's for dinner?"

"A surprise," Sango answered, and had to quickly cover her mouth to hide a smile when she saw the disheveled monk and miko. "What happened to you?"

"I never should have told Shippo about the game 'tag'," Kagome panted, sending the kitsune and evil glare. "I had no idea he was that fast and could fit into such tiny spaces."

"Yeah," Miroku agreed. "He ran us ragged when we were 'it'. Even the two of us chasing him wasn't enough to catch him. It goes without saying that we will never play that game again."

"Aww..." Shippo frowned as he sat next to the napping Kirara. "Maybe me and Kirara will play next time. She might be able to catch me."

Sango nodded as she handed him a bowl of steaming hot meat. "She might. She's a fast one."

The cheerful conversation continued as the friends ate, but suddenly Sango grew quiet. The others kept conversing until Miroku looked over and saw her clouded expression. He knew she was thinking about Inuyasha; her eyes told him so. "Inuyasha is fine, Sango," he told her, catching her attention.

"I know," she said solemnly, looking down at her hands. By now Kagome and Shippo stopped chattering and looked at her. "It's already been a month and I haven't heard anything from him. Could he at least come back and see me for a day or two?"

"Maybe he wants to make sure he has everything secured before coming back for you," Kagome suggested. "You know how he is. He won't give up until he gets what he wants."

"Yeah," she sighed wistfully. "But I still miss him."

"Me too."

* * *

"Is there anyone who rules this area?" the hanyou asked the shaking ferret demons. 

"N-no," they shivered, clearly afraid of the dog demon who towered over them. "T-there's n-no one here. W-we rule ourselves."

"Really?" A positive sign. "How about further east?"

"We don't know. If we m-may ask, w-w-why do you want to know?"

He paused. He hadn't anticipated anyone asking him that. "I want to become ruler of the Eastern Lands. Will you help me?"

"Of course!" the ferrets perked up, now convinced the scary dog wouldn't hurt them as long as they did what he said. "What do you want us to do?"

"Tell every demon around here that I am gaining control of these lands. And if anyone wants to challenge me, then I will take them on."

The ferrets nodded fiercely. "Trying to take out any non-believers, huh?"

He snickered at their interpretation. "You got it."

"We're on it."

_Task Number One completed. _

_Task Number Two: Spread the word._

* * *

**AN:** Well, there you have the very short Chapter One. I have planned out a great deal of this story, but I'm finding it hard to get into it. Perhaps Chapter Two will bring better luck. Review if you can, and onward and upward. 


	2. Storm Clouds

**AN: **I'm sorry for the wait. But here is Chapter Two in my sequel to 'When the Truth Rings'. To be honest, I don't think this one will live to up my satisfaction with the first one, but I will try my best. Enjoy the chapter below, and review if you can!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Where The Sun Rises**

**Chapter Two: **Storm Clouds

"Finally I can sleep," Inuyasha groaned as he laboriously climbed into a tree for the night. "Today was draining; I can hardly move without a muscle screaming. But it will be all worth it when Sango sees what I've done for her."

He closed his eyes, preparing to rest his exhausted body. But as he tried to slip into the slumber he sorely needed, he couldn't help but think he was being watched. Cracking a cautious eye open, he scanned what his vision would allow. A quick shadow darted in between the trunks of the trees, and then it was gone. Opening the other eye, he looked closer, but saw nothing. "MASTER!" a chorus of voices shouted, shooting the surprised hanyou a few feet into the air and landing on the ground with Tetsusaiga in hand.

"Who was that?" he growled, menacingly. When he didn't see anything, he barked, "show yourself!"

"Master... we're down here," a familiar squeaky voice said.

Lowering his gaze, he saw the ferret demons from earlier that day. "What are you doing here?"

"You told us to spread the word about you gaining control over the East, remember?" one of the ferrets answered. "We did what you said."

"So did anyone have a problem with it?" Inuyasha asked, remember his orders.

"Well, most of the demons around here are okay with having a leader... except for a few boars..."

"What?"

A different ferret spoke up. "There's a group of boar demons around here that kind of already have control over the easternmost lands. They scare us weaker demons into providing them with food and the occasional human or they say we will be killed. We all value or lives, so we do what they say; but they seem to have a big problem with you being here."

"How many of them are there?" Inuyasha asked, resheathing his Tetsusaiga.

"Four of them. But four big and strong boar demons are more than we are all willing to deal with," the ferret concluded. "So what are you going to do about them?"

"What do you think I'm gonna do? I'm gonna go and take care of them," he said, crossing his arms across his chest. "If I'm going to be in control here, then I have to eliminate all threats to the demons I'm taking under my protection."

"YAY!" his followers exclaimed in celebration. High fives and songs of joy erupted among the small animals, and Inuyasha could only watch in amusement. "So Master, what shall we call you?" one ferret asked as the others around him rejoiced.

Turning his eyes upward and drawing a clawed hand to his chin, Inuyasha thought about a suitable name. He soon came up with one he liked. It seemed appropriate in gratitude for a certain person. "I'm not sold on the 'Master' title. Call me Lord Inuyasha. I like that better."

"Yes, my lord," the ferret bowed, the others ceasing in their dancing and following suit.

Inuyasha looked upon them in approval, then said, "I will take care of those boars first thing tomorrow morning. But now I have to get some sleep."

"Yes, my lord. Sleep well."

"Goodnight."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That was delicious!" Kagome sighed in satisfaction, putting down her bowl and patting her stomach. "Sango, I promise your cooking is getting better everyday!"

Miroku nodded in agreement. "Kagome's right. Your meals are getting tastier. I know you'll surprise Inuyasha with your amazing food when he comes back."

"Yeah, I hope so," Sango said, leaning over to grab Kagome's bowl. "But then as long as it's not burnt to a crisp, he'll pretty much eat anything."

'That's for sure," Shippo chuckled, stroking the head of the drowsy Kirara. "He's got the strongest stomach of any creature I've ever seen."

A silent nod from Sango coupled with a small smile told the kitsune she agreed with him. Taking a seat in front of the fire, she absently reached up and scratched the top of her head -- between the pointy ears. Kagome was the first to notice. "SANGO! YOUR EARS!"

"Oww! Don't yell so loud!" Sango winced, flattening her ears into her ebony hair.

"... your ears," Miroku said slowly, eyes widening.

"Oh, I see you've noticed."

Kagome nodded. "When did that happen?"

Smile growing wider, Sango shrugged. "A few days ago. I wanted to see how long it would be before you guys noticed. It seems that all of you aren't very observant."

Miroku lowered his eyes to keep from staring. He laughed softly. "I guess not."

"So," Kagome started to ask, then paused. Deciding to continue with her question, she said, "is your hearing a lot sharper than it was before?"

"A whole lot sharper," Sango answered, stacking the bowls together. "I can hear so much more than I used to. I noticed that my sense of smell has gotten stronger too, but not too much. Actually..."

When she trailed off, Kagome looked at her in concern. "Is something wrong?"

Standing, Sango shook her head no. "Someone is coming to see us. But don't worry -- he's welcome."

A few seconds later, their guest came into view. Sesshomaru. "I see you could tell when I was approaching, taijiya. It seems the demon blood you obtained from your mating has taken its effect."

"Yeah," she nodded, blushing in sudden embarrassment. "What brings you here?"

"I told my brother that I would check up on you periodically in his absence."

"Oh."

"Is all well with you?"

"Yes."

"Me too!" Kagome cut in, beaming widely.

He didn't turn to look at her. "I don't care about you. I care about my brother's mate. You had your chance." This silenced her. Returning his speech to Sango, he continued. "If you wish to return with me to my fortress, I have a room prepared for you and your neko. But only if you wish to go; I will not force you."

"I thank you for your offer, but I'm fine where I am," she replied, bowing slightly. "But if you'd like to stay a while, then I will make you something to eat. I like to think my food is even better than last time."

Lowering himself to the grass a short distance from a pot of boiling water, the demon lord nodded shortly. "I will be the judge of that."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The stars contrasted sharply against the opaque sky as the night drug on. The fire had been extinguished hours ago, and the group had settled into their bedding. Sesshomaru had decided to stay the night to watch over Sango, and the others didn't mind him being there. The demon lord sat with his back against a tree, eyes closed but still alert. Kagome, Shippo, and Kirara lay a few feet away, and Sango was on a low tree branch above Sesshomaru's head. Miroku had chosen a spot near the edge of the clearing, but wasn't asleep.

He lay on his side, head propped up on his elbow. His gaze never left Sango's resting form, and he wished over and over that he was the lucky man who got to drape his frame over hers and make love to her. Unfortunately he wasn't, but it never stopped him from dreaming. And he dreamt about her often, almost every night. As his mind went to recall past thoughts he had about her, a noticeable tightening in his robes caused him to shift quickly and change the subject in his brain.

_'It's pretty obvious that I still want her,'_ the monk thought to himself. _'But she belongs to Inuyasha... however, if I can convince her to get rid of him and come back to me, then I can still make her mine! Starting right now...'_

Standing and creeping toward the tree the object of his continued affection slept in, he silently prayed that he would not stir the others with his movements. What he didn't know was that Sesshomaru was awake. His closed eyes fooled the monk to venture close enough to reach up to the low hanging branch and lightly touch Sango's hand. She woke abruptly and looked around frantically, hoping it was Inuyasha who roused her. When she saw who it was, she exhaled a breath of disappointment. "What is it, Miroku?" she whispered.

"I need to talk to you for a second," he answered just as quietly. "I'm sorry to wake you, but this is important."

She said nothing as she carefully lowered herself to the ground, cautious not to hit Sesshomaru on the head. Landing softly on the the cushioning grass, she followed Miroku into the trees. Once they were gone, Sesshomaru opened an eye and growled low. He had caught on to what Miroku wanted to talk about long before the two of them left. The demon could smell Miroku's arousal for his brother's mate since they all settled for the night._'It seems like I will have to watch the monk,' _he conversed mentally. _'It is clear he doesn't quite know what the word 'mate' means. But I'll make sure he understands before my brother returns. It would be a shame for my brother to have to kill a friend.'_

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**AN:** I wonder what is going to happen next! Actually, I already know, but that's not the point. Anyway, review if you can, and let's charge on to Chapter Three!


	3. Push

**AN:** Here is Chapter Three for all to read. I hope you enjoy this one, and review if you can.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Where the Sun Rises  
Chapter Three:** Push

"Okay, Miroku. What do you want?" Sango asked, deciding they have walked far enough into the trees.

"Well... it's about Inuyasha."

Her gaze and ears perked up. "Have you heard from him?"

"No, but I just wanted to talk to you about him." His mouth suddenly became very dry and he found it hard to speak. "Since he left, I keep wondering why he didn't take you with him."

She raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Because he wants to secure the East before he takes me there. He wants to be sure it's safe before we move there and start our family."

_'Family?'_ his mind panicked. He tried to hide his surprise as he continued. "I just don't think his plan will turn out the way he's hoping it would, that's all I'm saying. Maybe he's not planning to come back."

A heavy sigh from Sango told him that his reasoning made no sense. He knew it too, but he had to get her alone to attempt what he _really_ wanted to do. Mimicking her sigh, he decided to just go for it.

"Sango," he said evenly. He took a step forward, his eyes locked to hers. "I have to admit, I still want you. More than you can ever understand." He took another step, this one placing him directly in front of her. "Let me have you..."

With a quick motion, he wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her into a kiss. She went rigid at the contact, but just as fast, pushed him away from her as hard as she could. As a result, the monk flew back into a nearby tree and cracked its trunk. Upon sliding down to the grass, he went limp.

Sango could only stare wide-eyed at what she had done, and when the shock subsided enough to let her body move, she rushed over to Miroku's body. He was unconscious yet still breathing, but the collision between the back of his head and the tree had left a bloody mess through his black hair. "Oh Miroku," she whispered to him, parting his hair to see the damage. "I hope this serves as a lesson to you. Inuyasha would be furious at you if he ever found out what you just did."

Draping his arm over her shoulder, she stood with him leaning onto her back. "I'm glad I'm stronger than I was before," she grunted as she trudged back to camp.

When he heard rustling leaves and footsteps drawing nearer, Sesshomaru raised his head. He saw Sango enter the clearing with the human male on her back. He watched her carefully lower him to the ground, then collapse next to him to catch her breath. "What happened to him?" he asked, though he could probably guess.

She paused. "He kissed me, and I pushed him away. Apparently too hard because he flew back against a tree." Her eyes lowered. "He still loves me."

"It is good that you taught him to never touch you again," Sesshomaru nodded. "He was too late to gain your affections, and now he has become foolish enough to risk his life for kissing another's mate. I suggest you tell him that if my brother were to find out, he would not live long enough to apologize."

"I think he's got the point," Sango said, looking over at Miroku's body. "Inuyasha doesn't have to know about this."

"Why do you insist on protecting that monk?"

Sango's eyes widened at the question. Incredulously, she replied, "I am _not_ protecting him! I just don't want anyone to be killed over a mistake."

The demon lord gazed at her with disapproval. But his words betraying his look, he said, "if you do not want my brother to find out, then I will not tell him. Just make sure the monk understands what is at stake if he continues his behavior."

"Fine. I'll tell him first thing tomorrow morning."

"Good."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Y'know, I don't even know your name."

"Call me Mizuki," the ferret said proudly, sticking its chest out.

"Mizuki? That sounds like a girl's name. Aren't you a boy?"

Mizuki's chest deflated. "Well... yeah. But I like the name Mizuki, so I use it."

Inuyasha turned his head to hide a smile as he quickly changed the subject. "So where are these boars?"

"We are almost there, Lord Inuyasha," Mizuki assured. "I must admit, My Lord, that these boar demons are very scary indeed. But since I am the only ferret demon that accompanied you on your official business, I think I should be rewarded."

Turning back to him, Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"Maybe a promotion, My Lord. Yes, a promotion in your ranks will do nicely. If I may be so bold to request this, My Lord, I like the title of Head Ferret."

Snickering softly, Inuyasha nodded. "Okay then, Mizuki. I now appoint you as Head Ferret in the ranks of my developing kingdom."

"Yippee!" Mizuki hopped up and down. "I will not fail you, Lord Inuyasha."

"I have faith in you."

"We have arrived, Lord Inuyasha."

The hanyou had to cover his sensitive nose from the offending smell that radiated from the upcoming castle, which rose from the tops of the forest trees. "Are these giant boars? Because based off this smell, you'd think there'd be hundreds of 'em," he said.

"No, My Lord, there are only four. And yes, they are quite big. Any fighter would have trouble taking them on. If they will fight you now, then I wish you luck, My Lord."

"Well, let's go inside and see," Inuyasha said bravely. "Sango, this is for you."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**AN:** Ah, the plot thickens! Will Miroku heed the warnings he's been given? And how will Inuyasha deal with the four big problems that are keeping him from establishing his kingdom in the East? Answers are coming soon. Review if you can, and Chapter Four is coming your way!


	4. Cold Fondness

**AN: **Yay for Chapter Four! Actually, I've been sitting on this for a few days, but I haven't had a real chance to type it all out. But here it is for you to enjoy. Review if you can.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Where the Sun Rises**

**Chapter Four: **Cold Fondness

Miroku jolted awake to the smell of cooking fish and rice. Rolling over onto his back, he saw Sango stirring a large pot with one hand and a smaller one with the other. She was humming a sweet song, and didn't seem to notice he was awake.

Cautiously rising to his feet and creeping over to his beloved, Miroku couldn't help but remember her rejection of him the night before. The last thing he remembered was her angry face and hitting his head against something hard. Then he blacked out. _'It feels like I've been out for a while,'_ he thought as he silently sat next to Sango. _'Maybe she can tell me what happened.'_

"Miroku," she said before he even opened his mouth. Her voice was cold and distant. She wasn't happy. "What you did last night can never happen again."

"What ha-" he began, but snapped his mouth shut when he recalled what she was referring to. The kiss. "Sango, I-"

"You see, at first I wasn't mad," she went on, continuing to stir the pots, not bothering to look at him. "I understand that you are still trying to get all of this processed. I mean, everything between me and Inuyasha happened kind of fast. I was ready to forgive you... until this morning."

He gulped. Her words struck a fear into his heart, and he could tell she was about to say something that could hurt. Deep.

"I got up early this morning to make breakfast, and I started to think. You had your chance with me, but you blew it... and then I thought some more. Even if I did end up with you, I can't trust you to be out of my sight when another female is around. You're like a child, Miroku. I can't afford to babysit you and worry about other things too. Thank goodness Naraku is gone, or the stress alone would kill me off."

_'I'm like a child? Ouch.'_ "Sango, wait-"

"No. I've listened to you long enough," she snapped, placing the spoon down and turning to glare at him. "It's my turn now. I have already told you that I don't want to have any kind of relationship with you other than us being friends, but obviously you don't believe me. And then I realized it even if I had been dumb enough to associate myself with you, my heart will still have been with Inuyasha."

"Sango!" Miroku shouted, jumping to his feet angrily. "He's no good for you!"

"And you are?" she replied calmly, refusing to raise her voice. "You are better for me? Is that what you're saying?"

"YES! Inuyasha is a hot-tempered, idiotic, hard-headed, half-breed who will only bring you grief when a real demon kills him!"

Sango's expression froze and she also climbed to her feet. He couldn't tell what his words did to her until she spoke. "Listen to me, monk," she said, voice wavering. "Inuyasha is everything I've always wanted in a mate. I love him just the way he is, and if you can't accept that and show him respect in his absence, then you can leave this group right now!"

Miroku's anger melted away instantly when he heard the hurt in her voice. He'd rather have her hit him that hear that tone again. "I'm sorry," he told her, lowering his voice. "I should've have said that."

"I know," she agreed stonily and sat back down, her back to him. "I was trying to tell you that if a repeat of last night were to happen again, then I can't save you from what will happen when Inuyasha gets back. He may kill you... I don't know."

"What? Would Inuyasha kill me?"

"You kissed his mate," she shrugged, indifferently. "And yes, even kissing a half-demon's mate is enough to get you killed, if you were wondering, so be careful. This is your last warning."

"Sango, I'm sorry. But you have to understand-"

She cut him off by tossing him a plate over her shoulder. "Breakfast is ready."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Who are you and who are you here to see?" the horse demon guards demanded.

Stepping up confidently, Mizuki announced, "I am Mizuki, Head Ferret, and this is Lord Inuyasha. We need to see your superiors; The Lord of the East has business with them."

The guard gave a quizzical look to Inuyasha, then back to Mizuki. "_He's_ the Lord of the East? The one who's gaining control over all the lands here, and now wants the ones ruled by The Four Captains?"

Mizuki seemed confused for a moment, but recovered by nodding. "If the Four Captains are boar demons, then yes, you are correct. Take us to them."

The guard grinned at the duo and stepped aside. "Our Captains are expecting you."

_'I don't like the way he said that,'_ Inuyasha noted to himself. _'We should be careful.'_

He and Mizuki followed the guards through a gate marked by four large, grey, boar statues that towered over the walkway. Upon entering through the gate, the guards abruptly and wordlessly broke out into a run. Inuyasha gripped the hilt of his Tetsusaiga, ready for an ambush, but when nothing happened, he started to follow. Once he began running, he realized how much vegetation there was between the gate and the actual entrance to the castle. He also had to carry Mizuki on his shoulder to keep his official from falling behind, but when the runners reached the entrance doors, the ferret was the only one out of breath. "Whew!" he gasped. "You run fast, my Lord!"

"Enter," one of the guards cut in. "Go in, and take the master stairs. Then take a left, down the hall, and then a right. The doors with boar statues on either side is where you want to end up. Go."

"You're not going to take us there?" Mizuki inquired, a little alarmed.

"We can't leave our posts. You'll find it fine."

Inuyasha said nothing and just nodded, but cautiously stepped past them and through the slightly parted entrance doors. As they slammed behind the traveling duo, Mizuki flinched. "I'm scared, My Lord."

"Don't worry," the hanyou soothed, looking around the vast, empty front atrium. "We'll be fine."

"Okay."

"Now, if we can avoid fighting these Four Captains, we will. But I have a feeling we will have to fight."

"That's n-not helping, My Lord."

Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. Just hope for the best."

"Yes, My Lord."

Making his way around the atrium's spewing fountain, Inuyasha could only stare at the craftsmanship of the intricate pillars that surrounded the room and the decorative tiles that spanned the floor. The walls were littered with heavily detailed paintings of landscapes, multi-colored draperies flowed from the ceiling, and the sun shone brightly through the hole above the fountain. It was absolutely beautiful. "I should get stuff like this for Sango," he mused aloud as he started ascending the master stairs.

During their climb to the top, he could tell Mizuki was wanting to say something, but was holding it back. Shifting his eyes to his Head Ferret, he asked, "what's your question?"

"Well, I was wondering who is this 'Sango' you keep referring to."

"She's my mate," Inuyasha answered, his small smile spreading to a grin. That had become more frequent whenever he talked about her, and it reminded him of how much he missed her. He made a mental note to speed this process up; he wanted to return to her soon. "She's the reason why I'm here in the East. I want to rule everything here so I can give her the life she deserves to have."

"Ah," Mizuki nodded. "What is she like?"

Inuyasha sighed dreamily, though he'd probably never let her see it. "She's amazing. She's one of the kindest people you'll meet -- until you make her mad. And even then, she's admirable with her skill. And her beauty! She's the most beautiful specimen you will ever see! Sometimes... I have to wonder what she ever saw in me to begin with."

Mizuki clasped his 'hands' together with joy. "She saw a wonderful leader and a nice guy! My Lord, I can already tell that you love her very much and you'll make her happy. Especially with these Eastern Lands; these lands are just as beautiful as the ones of the West."

"They are," Inuyasha agreed, scratching his head. "Sesshomaru might even break down and say so himself... or maybe not."

A sudden gasp from Mizuki made Inuyasha look over at him in surprise. "How dare you refer to Lord Sesshomaru so informally?"

The hanyou smiled to himself with a shake of his head, realizing his lead official hadn't made the connection yet. "Sesshomaru is my brother."

Mizuki didn't answer. He had fainted.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**AN: **I hope you have enjoyed the above writing. I will be posting Chapter Five soon, because I'm pretty excited about it. I have it all planned out. It will be amazing (or maybe not). Review if you can, and I'll be back soon with Chapter Five!


	5. Challenge

**AN: **Wow. Been a while, huh? It took me a bit to figure out where I wanted this to go, and I think I've got it together. I hope you enjoy the chapter below. Review if you can.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Where The Sun Rises  
Chapter Five: **Challenge

"Well, this has to be it," Inuyasha announced wearily as he and Mizuki approached the heavy wooden doors marked by boar statues. "If it's not, then those guards give crappy directions."

"Okay, My Lord. When you are ready to enter, I will announce you," Mizuki declared, holding his head high. "These _'Captains'_ will know who they will be speaking with!"

"You don't have to do that --"

_BANG BANG BANG!_

"Open up!" Mizuki yelled as he pounded his fist into the shut doors. "Lord Inuyasha has arrived, and he wishes to speak with you! Open up!"

Inuyasha could only gape at his forwardness. He found it funny that his ferret friend's confidence soared once he was 'promoted', but now his lead official had a presence that commanded attention. Mostly because he was so loud.

The doors slowly began to open, leading the travelers to believe the doors were being pulled from the inside. Inuyasha grabbed the hilt of Tetsusaiga, readying himself for a fight in case someone wasn't too happy with Mizuki making forceful demands of them. It took a while for the swinging barriers to open, and another horse demon stood in the opening. "We've been expecting you," he said, stepping aside and keeping his eyes forward. "Please enter."

Inuyasha entered the room with Mizuki in tow, and stopped a few feet from the edge of a long, wooden dining table. There were at least twenty chairs with full sets of silverware on each side, yet only four were occupied. The four demons looked up from their meal at the intruding hanyou and his tiny ferret companion. The demon at the head of the table, opposite of Inuyasha, stood. Motioning for his guests to take a seat, he said, "please. Sit down and eat with us. I know we have business to discuss, but I don't want you making any decisions on an empty stomach."

Usually not one to turn down food, Inuyasha rounded the table and sat a few places from the nearest boar. Mizuki followed suit and sat next to him. "What do we have to discuss?" Inuyasha asked, eying his dining mates cautiously.

"Well, first let me introduce myself and my fellow Captains," the head demon said, clearing his throat. "I am Kazuki, the one you are sitting next to is Ryoma, across from him is Nenmu, and next to me is Yukito. And what is your name, if I may ask?"

"His name is Lord Inuyasha!" Mizuki cut in, crossing his arms. Looking up at his master for approval, he shrunk into his chair when he was given a less-than-pleased glare. "Sorry."

"Lord Inuyasha," Kazuki repeated as if rolling the name around in his mouth, trying to get a feel of it. "I like it."

"Forget about that," the sharp voice of Ryoma interjected, looking up from his rice and fish. "Get to business."

Kazuki turned to Ryoma and replied, "I'll handle this. You go back to eating." Looking back up at Inuyasha, he continued, "but we _do_ have to get down to business of why you are here."

Shifting in his seat, Inuyasha tried to keep the most neutral face he could. He noticed that Sesshomaru always kept a blank face and everyone took him so seriously. Maybe the same thing would work for him.

"Now, it has been brought to our attention that you have been gaining allegiance from all the demons of the Eastern Lands with vows of protection. But you see, we have been providing protection for them already, way before you got here. Do you understand me so far?"

"I got it," Inuyasha nodded, "but it has also been brought to _my _attention that you require sacrifices, food and other things from these helpless demons. Your plan is hurting them, not helping them. If anything, I think they may need protection from _you_."

The other boar Captains paused in their meals to turn and stare at their bold guest, speaking against their practices so freely. Downturned eyebrows were present on each face, obviously not pleased with the hanyou's suggestion. "I think you should hold your tongue before you offend us," Yukito warned, rising to his feet. "You forget where you are. If you continue, you might not make it to the door with a beating heart."

Standing as well, Inuyasha refused to back down. "I didn't come here to fight you. I came here to see if you wanted to ally yourselves with me. But if you want a fight, then I won't turn you down."

"Let's go!"

"HEY!" Kazuki squealed, raising his hooves high into the air. "No one will be fighting in here. It's clear that this can't be solved on civil terms. If we can't come to an agreement, then maybe another method is in order."

"Maybe so," Yukito spat, keeping his eyes locked to Inuyasha's. "I think that we should see what this guy is made of; I wanna see if he can back up what he says."

"You think I can't?" Inuyasha shot back, cracking his knuckles. "Just name what you want. I'm sure I'll put you in your place either way."

Yukito's furious expression morphed into one of mischief. "If we can't go head to head, then maybe we can indirectly... A week from today, come back with as many of your men as you can. Me and the other Captains will bring three fighters each. We will all brawl until one side is victorious. What do you think?"

"I think that's not a bad idea."

"Good," Yukito grinned. Finally returning his stare back to Kazuki, he asked, "what do you think? Is this way better? Our _guest_ agrees with it. Can we do it?"

"Fine. Three fighters for each of us, and as many as Lord Inuyasha wants to bring. I guess that's fair."

Yukito nodded in approval. Looking back at Inuyasha, his malicious smile spread wider. "Better be ready... once the starting bell sounds, I'm coming after you first."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at him, a dark smile of anticipation claiming his mouth. "Good. I can get you out of the way right at the beginning."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Kagome's coming back today!" Shippo shrieked in excitement, dancing around the edge of the Bone Eater's Well. "She's been gone for a week; I miss her so much!"

"Me too," Sango replied, smiling at the celebrating kitsune. She sat cross-legged on the grass, folding her traveling yukata into a tight square while watching Shippo prance around. Setting the bundle on the ground, she reached over and petted Kirara on the top of her head. The neko purred and curled into Sango's lap, enjoying the soft scratching behind her ears.

"How long do you think Kagome will stay until she has to go back?" Miroku asked, polishing his staff with a small cloth. He half-expected Sango to ignore him, given the circumstances, but she answered him.

"I don't know." She didn't sound cold nor aloof, but she didn't even bother to look at him. It was a start.

"I hope she gets here soon," Shippo said, sitting on the grass across from Sango. "Maybe she'll have something sweet for me like she did last time!"

"Maybe so," she smiled at him again, softly twisting a lock of his hair around her finger. "I bet she missed you so much, that she will bring you _two_ treats!"

His eyes widened at the thought. "I hope so!"

Miroku could only look on during their exchange. He sat a distance away from them, but not far enough to be excluded from their conversation, though he was. He was placed behind Sango and watched her intensely, hoping she would turn around and say something to him. Though it wasn't likely, he was always one to keep the positives. Maybe if he said something to her...

"Sango," he started, clearing his throat. "You know, I was thinking..."

"What monk?" she snapped, tone suddenly biting cold.

His expression froze into shock. _'Monk? When did she start calling me that?'_ Miroku wondered, astonished._'Why didn't she call me by my name?'_

He didn't realize how much time had passed until she turned to him, her brown eyes narrowed. "What were you thinking?"

"Uh... nothing," he said, lowering his head. He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that she didn't address him by his name. It was so sudden, but apparently he was only a monk to her now, not even a familiar one at that. _'I really fucked up,'_ he thought with a shake of his head. _'She doesn't even want to call me by name anymore. I didn't think she'd get so mad about what I did. I was only trying to get her back... what's wrong with that?'_

A cheerful squeal brought him from his thoughts to what was going on. Kagome had just crawled out of the well and given Shippo two lollipops. Currently, she was hugging Sango tight and asking her how everything was. "Everything's fine," Sango told her, pulling away. "I'm glad you're back. Shippo was restless while you were gone."

"I imagine so," the miko laughed, looking over her shoulder at the grinning kitsune. "He's always jumping around!"

"Especially when you're not here," Sango said. "He almost wore me out with his questions about when you were going to return."

Kagome shook her head in amusement, and turned her eyes to the other male besides Shippo. "Hello, Miroku," she smiled, walking over to him. "I assume it was an adventure being here alone with two females and a hyperactive fox. But it looks like you survived."

"Barely," he chuckled to himself.

"Is Kaede home?" Kagome asked Sango, ignoring Miroku's comment.

"Yes, she's there," Sango answered. "Do you need to see her?"

"Yeah. I need to ask her a few questions about some herbs I found."

"Good. Let's go. Come on, Shippo!"

Miroku slowly stood and watched his friends (and former friend) walk off in the direction of Kaede's hut. He still couldn't believe what happened just a second before Kagome arrived. While he didn't want to think about it, it still nagged him at the back of his mind. He wanted to talk to her, explain that he was wrong, but he knew that she would only get mad at him again._'I'll give her some time to get over all of this,' _he decided._'If I give her some space, maybe she won't be so mad at me anymore. Maybe we can even become friends again. Or at the very least, she'll remember my name.'_

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**AN:** Okay now. Seems like we've got some action here, right? While I was writing this, I got a great idea! And what's even better? It's coming in the next chapter, which I will start writing right after I post this! Oh, the excitement is boiling over... anyway, review if you can, and Chapter Six is coming your way!


	6. Compromise

**AN:** Okay now. Here I am, presenting you with Chapter Six. I hope you enjoy what's coming up in the following text. Review if you can.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Where the Sun Rises**

**Chapter Six: **Compromise

"Are we almost there?" Mizuki asked, feeling restless as he followed Inuyasha through the thickening trees. "I hope we get there soon, because I'm hungry."

"Don't worry, we're almost there. Just a little bit further."

"Good."

Inuyasha was becoming excited himself as they were nearing their destination. He was constantly and desperately searching for familiar scents, and decided that once he caught them, he would grab Mizuki and sprint toward them as fast as his legs would carry him. It was only a matter of time before he would get to see them again. See _her_ again. A tiny shiver of anticipation traveled down his spine as he thought of his mate. Soon he'd be holding her in his arms again, kissing her sweetly and taking in her delightful scent of spicy vanilla and lavender. He couldn't wait.

"My Lord," Mizuki started, aware that his master was consumed in his thoughts, "I smell humans near. Are they the ones you want to see?"

"Mmmhmm," he nodded, lifting his nose upward to confirm what his lead official said. He was right. "That's them."

The reasoning behind coming back to see his friends were twofold. One, he _did_ miss them. It had been almost four months since he last saw them, and being accompanied only by a ferret all the time made him want to talk to someone else for a change. The second reason was that he planned on asking his faithful friends to help him in his plight. It had been two days since his meeting with the Captains, and he had every intention of winning the arranged confrontation. And he figured the easiest way to do so would be to ask his experienced friends to lend him a hand. It made sense to him, and he knew that they wouldn't turn him down.

"C'mon Mizuki, let's go," Inuyasha said, clearing his throat. "I'm ready to see them now."

Mizuki gave his Master a look of understanding and walked beside him in silence until they stepped out of the thick trees and onto a dirt road. Following the road with his eyes, he could see a wide cluster of huts, and he assumed this was the town his Master mentioned a day or two ago when they set out on their trip. Raising his eyes to his Lord, he could see a soft smile placed on his lips. Clearly his Lord was at ease around this place, a heavy sense of familiarity emanated from him, in turn calming Mizuki to lower his guard. "Is your mate here?" he finally asked.

"Yeah, she's here," the hanyou answered, his smile slowly spreading wider. "She's in that hut over there."

Mizuki followed his Master's pointed, clawed finger over to a hut off to the right, the blanket hanging in front of the doorway flapping slightly in the lazy breeze. "I can't wait to see her. I want to see what she looks like."

Inuyasha didn't answer, but placed a finger over his lips to silence Mizuki. He motioned for the ferret to follow him as he crept toward the hut's opening. Taking a deep breath, he threw the blanket aside and stepped inside. Mizuki didn't immediately follow, but jumped in surprise when he heard his Master's name squealed and sounds of joyous recognition rang out. He went inside.

A beautiful woman with long, dark brown hair had her arms wrapped around his Lord's neck and she was hugging him fiercely. He was hugging her back just as hard, his nose buried into her hair, taking in her scent. Obviously, this was his mate. "I missed you so much, Inuyasha," she said, a single tear tumbling down the perfect skin of her cheek. "I'm so glad you came back to see me."

"I couldn't bear to be away from you too much longer," he told her, keeping her in his strong embrace.

"I was about to go crazy!" she said, finally pulling away from him. Her smile was dazzling; Mizuki could only stare.

"Me too."

"So, how long are you going to stay?"

"A few days or so... there's something waiting for me to finish when I go back."

"Well, come on, let me make you something to eat," she said to him, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the center of the room, where another girl in weird clothes and a monk sat. Off to the side, he could see a neko and kitsune asleep on the floor. All in all, the ferret had some questions to ask his Master about his friends.

Mizuki slowly ventured inside the hut until Inuyasha looked over and remembered he was there. He motioned for him to come over, and then got the attention of his mate, who was now sitting next to him on the floor. "Sango, I want you to meet Mizuki," he said, gesturing toward his lead official. "He's helping me in the East, y'know, securing the land and everything like that."

"Very nice to meet you Mizuki," Sango said sweetly, giving him a soft scratch behind his left ear. When his leg twitched in utter enjoyment, she smiled and scratched in the same spot again. In response, Mizuki snuggled up against her leg and gave her access to his ear.

"Wow. It seems you found a way to shut him up," Inuyasha grinned, leaning in closer to the ferret who was in complete heaven due to the sensation behind his ear. "Sango, you are truly amazing."

"I've been told," she giggled, giving him a smile. Whispering, she added, "you know, if you aren't too tired, maybe later I can scratch you behind _your_ ears..." as her voice trailed off, it left room for Inuyasha to catch on to her intent. He did, and he grinned even wider. "I'll take that as a 'yes'," she said, and gave him a wink.

"So, Inuyasha, tell us about what you've been up to in the East," Miroku asked, smoothing out his robes over his cross-legged knees. "I hope you are close to being in control of those lands."

"Much closer than you would think. The lesser demons didn't give me any trouble, thanks to Mizuki here, but the stronger ones..."

"What about them?" Kagome inquired, voice laced with concern.

"They aren't too fond of Lord Inuyasha gaining lands in the East," Mizuki answered. "They challenged Lord Inuyasha to a fight. It will take place in about five days."

"Oh really, _Lord_ Inuyasha?" Sango repeated, chuckling softly. "I had no idea we were in the presence of a _Lord_."

"I wasn't aware of that either," Miroku agreed, amusement playing on his face. "So my Lord, will you explain the specifics of this fight you will be having in a few days?"

"Yes, my Lord, please tell us about that," Kagome chimed in, bowing her head low.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha huffed, crossing his arms. "Do you want to hear about it or not?"

"Go ahead," Sango said with a wave of her hand. "After all this time, you still can't take a joke."

He gave her a glare of annoyance and then proceeded to recount his story of visiting The Captains in their massive mansion, and the challenge issued to him. "So I was hoping that maybe you guys can go back with me and help me defeat them," he concluded, scanning his friends' faces for a response.

A moment passed before an answer came. "Well, if that's what you want, then I'll be happy to help," Miroku shrugged.

Kagome only smiled. Finally she said, "I will go back with you. You really didn't even have to ask."

When it came to Sango's turn, she was silent. Wordlessly, she scooped some rice into a few bowls and handed them out. As Kagome took her bowl, she gave her friend a quizzical look. "What about you, Sango? Aren't you going to help Inuyasha?"

Looking up at her, Sango said simply, "He asked you two. It would be foolish for him to ask me; he already knows my answer." Handing the last bowl to Inuyasha, she continued, "I would never say 'no' to him."

Inuyasha could only stare at Sango as she spoke. She never ceased to amaze him. Sometimes it seemed like he's looking at her for the first time in his life, and still she captivated him with some unknown force. He realized a long time ago that he would never understand the hold she had on him; but the contentment in his heart told him it didn't matter. He accomplished the feat of becoming her mate, and that was most important. But what he had to tell her in response to her answer almost tore him apart inside. "Sango... I don't want you to go."

She froze in mid-chew and settled her eyes on him. Taking a quick swallow, she said, "What? You don't want me to go?"

Something on the floor held his gaze as he continued. "Yeah."

"Umm... I think that we should give them a second alone," Kagome suggested, standing and leading Miroku and Mizuki outside. On the floor still sat Sango and Inuyasha, an uncomfortable silence between them.

"Why don't you want me to go with you?"

"I... just don't think it's a good idea, that's all."

"Why not?"

"Well, if those guys found out that you are my mate, don't you think that they'd go after you instead of me?"

"How would they know?" Sango snapped, her glare becoming more intense on the top of his lowered head. "Obviously, there is some other reason why you don't want me to go back with you."

He shrugged. "There isn't. I just want you to be safe. Actually, I've been thinking..."

"Y'know, you've been doing a lot of thinking, Inuyasha," she said, climbing to her feet, voice raising. "I noticed that whenever you start 'thinking', _I_ have to deal with it!"

"Listen to me," he cut in, standing up too. Now he was looking her in the eye. "What is wrong with me wanting to protect you? You don't have to get so mad at me about this. All I was going to suggest was that while we're gone, maybe you can stay with Sesshomaru for a bit..."

"WHAT?" Sango shrieked, dropping her bowl to the floor. "Are you serious? Instead of letting come along with everyone else, you want to dump me on Sesshomaru?"

"I'm not dumping you on anybody," he answered her, trying to keep his anger in check. He knew that if he didn't, he would say something harsh, and then she would be mad at him. And he didn't want her mad at him when he left off again._'Finally, my foresight is kicking in,'_ he thought to himself. But that was all he had time to think before Sango's angry voice brought him back to their argument.

"Then what do you call asking me to stay with Sesshomaru?"

A long blink and a sigh. This was getting harder for him. He really was trying to be patient with her... "I thought it would be a good idea. You didn't even give it a chance."

"I'm not going, so you might as well not even ask me," she declared, crossing her arms across her chest. She turned away from him, and found something interesting on the wall to stare at.

This was too much for the hanyou. "What do you want from me!" he yelled, his long-suppressed anger bursting through its fragile barriers. "I don't see why you can't just do what I ask you to! Would you rather get killed? Is that what you want? Didn't you get enough when we were fighting Naraku? You are just as stubborn as when that bastard was alive!"

"So, you think that I'll do whatever you tell me to?" she yelled back, whirling around to face him. "I don't answer to you or anybody else! I'm not Kagome; I won't just stand aside and follow your orders just because I have feelings for you!"

His eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't believe his ears. How could she say something like that?

A long pause.

"Oh, are you shocked that I said what everyone else was thinking?" she said, in a much lower voice coupled with a nonchalant shrug. "Well, either way, your 'plan' isn't going to work."

"Look, I won't be able to concentrate on the fight if I know that you might be in danger," he told her, slowly venturing closer. She still had her arms crossed over her chest, and she didn't look very approachable. He decided to take a chance. "If you are with Sesshomaru, then I know you'll be fine until I come back."

"I still don't like it."

"Please, just roll with it," he pressed, becoming bold enough to wrap an arm around her and pull her into his chest. Almost immediately, she dropped her guard and rested her soft hands on his chest. "This is the last thing standing between us and being the rulers of the East. I'm begging you... just stay with him for a while. We'll be back soon, and the next time you see me, I will be taking you to a new castle in the East. It will have everything you've ever wanted in it. It'll be great. But I need you to trust me."

Raising her eyes to meet his, she nodded softly. "I'm fine with the fact that you aren't taking me with you... but there's no way I'm staying with Sesshomaru. If I'm staying with anybody, then it's going to be Kaede. Got it?"

Inuyasha chuckled a bit at her compromise; he should have known that he wasn't going to get _exactly_ what he asked her for. "That's okay with me. Now how about some rice?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**AN:** And there you have it. I am planning something special for Chapter Seven, so be ready. Well, that's all I have for you this time! Review if you can.


	7. Worry

**AN: **Well, hello there. I thought that I'd give everyone a nice little present for Chapter Seven. Now, be aware, I'm still fairly new to this, so don't hate me if you reject my gift. If you haven't figured it out by now, then you'll be quite surprised. Happy reading, and review if you can.

--

**Where the Sun Rises**

**Chapter Seven:** Worry

"I'm glad that we will have our time alone," Sango said, leading Inuyasha through the trees of the deep forest. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," he agreed, walking behind her, admiring the perfect body of his mate. "There were definitely times when Mizuki was about to drive me crazy and I wanted to be back here with you. So... has Sesshomaru been by to see you?"

"Yeah, he was here," she answered, selecting a spot on the lush grass of the clearing they entered. Setting the basket down and beginning to spread out a blanket, she continued, "he didn't stay very long. But he did come by."

"That's good," he nodded, sitting on the blanket once it was smoothed out. "I knew he wouldn't let me down on making sure you were okay."

"Y'know, we really didn't need him to check up on us."

"Maybe not, but it made me feel better."

Sango gave a small smile. "I guess so."

Opening the basket, she pulled out several kinds of fruit and bread and set them out. She could feel Inuyasha's eyes on her as she did this, and it made her chuckle a little. When he asked what was funny, she insisted that it was nothing. The answer didn't seem to satisfy him, but he left it alone. "Let's eat," he said, and took a giant bite out of an apple.

--

"So I think that we've picked our guys," Kazuki sighed tiredly as he scratched his head. "We've picked our best ones. If we don't win, then that guy is one hell of a fighter."

"It doesn't matter. He won't win," Yukito said, taking a seat on the floor. "I'm more than positive that we'll get rid of that damn pest and then we won't have to worry about anyone taking over these lands. It'll be simple enough."

While Yukito sounded so confident, a concerned look from Nenmu prompted a question. "You think we'll win, right Nenmu?"

He was silent.

Climbing to his standing height, Yukito took a step toward him. "Right?"

After a few more seconds of silence, Nenmu finally answered timidly. "Maybe this won't be as easy as we think."

"Why wouldn't it be?" Kazuki asked, raising his eyes to the Captain that was leaning against a wall and twiddling his hooves. "Surely you don't think that half-breed is strong enough to defeat us, do you?"

"It's not that."

"Then what is it?" Yukito demanded forcefully.

"Maybe it's not just him we should be worrying about... don't you think he looks familiar?"

Yukito's face softened as confusion took the place of his anger. "No... am I supposed to think he looks familiar?"

Nenmu pushed himself off of the wall and walked to the middle of the room, where the other Captains surrounded him, curious to hear his reply. "Doesn't he look like Sesshomaru, the Lord of the West?" he whispered.

Kazuki closed his eyes for a moment. Reopening them, he nodded. "He does. And it's common knowledge that Lord Sesshomaru he has a half-breed brother. That Inuyasha has to be him."

"Okay, so what does his being Lord Sesshomaru's brother have to do with this?" Yukito asked with a shrug. "It's also common knowledge that those two hate each other, so it's not like he'll come and help out 'kid brother.' If anything, Lord Sesshomaru might help us just to foil his brother's plans."

"But he also hates the rulers of the Eastern Lands... and that's us," Ryoma cut in.

"Shut up!" Yukito yelled. "He's not going to help that damn pest!"

"I'm just saying that we should be ready just in case he does," Nenmu said. "If we get caught off guard and unprepared, we will lose our land in addition to our lives."

"We aren't taking any extra precautions. Lord Sesshomaru isn't coming," Kazuki said, standing. "The guys we have are good enough."

"Do you remember how strong he is?" Nenmu argued, voice rising. "He will kill us!"

"If he won't be there, then he won't," Yukito told him, shaking his head.

"Fine. If none of you think that this is something to worry about, then maybe I'll worry about it. You can fight them with one less boar."

"What?" the other three Captains shouted in surprise.

"I'm not going to let Lord Sesshomaru kill me. And if Inuyasha is related to him, he has to be plenty strong too. I'm not going to risk it."

Yukito's angry face returned. "Then what are you going to do? Are you going to join the half-breed's side? Because if you are planning to, I'll kill you right now. I won't have you helping them."

"I'm not on anyone's side anymore. I'm just going to stay out of it. I'll find out what happened just like all the lesser demons will: through word traveling."

Nenmu's answer seemed to be good enough for Yukito, so he left it alone. But he never took his eyes off him; Nenmu was one less Captain they had to help protect their lands. And now that the incumbents were down to three Captains, deep inside Yukito silently prayed that Sesshomaru wouldn't show up.

--

"That was delicious," Inuyasha exhaled contently as he rubbed his stomach. "Everything was so fresh!"

"Yeah, it was," Sango agreed. "But I promise dinner will be better. I've really been working on my cooking since you've been gone. I even got Sesshomaru addicted to my rice. He loves it."

"Well then, I am surely looking forward to eating whatever you make," he said, lying down on the blanket and placing his arms behind his head. "Have you decided what you are going to make yet?"

"Nope," she shook her head, scooting next to her reclining hanyou. "I'll figure something out."

"Good," he nodded and closed his eyes, preparing for an after-lunch nap. But he was mistaken, and his eyes reopened to see his mate straddling his hips with a mischievous smile on her face. "I won't get any sleep, huh?"

"Not yet," she said, slowly running her hands along his chest. "You will soon."

Inuyasha didn't reply. He just watched her open the top of his haori and proceeded to pull it over the top of his head. She threw it to the side and moved her hands downward to loosen his pants. "You know, this is one of the things I missed the most since you left," she whispered, shifting her body so she could pull the garment off. Once complete, she threw them to the side as well. A slow scanning of her mate's naked body brought a smile to her face.

"Like what you see?"

"I always have."

"Well, let me see some of your skin, since you've seen all of mine."

Sango giggled and repositioned herself across his hips as a hand reached up to loosen her hair. She gave the ribbon she wore a light tug, and her dark brown locks fell about her shoulders. He could tell that she had gotten it cut a little bit, but he couldn't dwell on that too long before he saw the nakedness of his mate when she threw her yukata aside. It only took a few seconds before she gasped and then turned a deep red. "From under me, it feels like you are just as ready as I am," she said in a low voice, her blush deepening.

A laugh from Inuyasha made the red of her face soften to pink. "You just have a big effect on me."

"You do too." She winked.

He grinned. Self-gratification feels good.

"Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded, and he took a stern grip on her hips and gently lowered her onto his member. Her gasp told him wait until she got used to him again. When he was pretty certain she was okay, he let go of her hips and she began to roll her hips.

At first, her moments were slow and calculated, but as they got faster, he could tell that she had learned from their first encounter. Soon, the couple were moving in a forceful rhythm that was fast enough to elicit deep moans of pleasure but slow enough to not make it end too soon. She was steadying herself by placing her hands on his chest, and he had re-gripped her hips and was guiding her in different directions. Now, while Inuyasha was completely absorbed in the increasing intensity of his love-making with his mate, he felt a distant sense of uneasiness. Under normal circumstances, he would take a quick run through the forest to see what was causing this feeling of caution, but now, he was not about to stop what he was doing. At the back of his mind, he prayed furiously that nothing was going wrong while he was here with Sango. But, as expected, he didn't finish his desperate mental chant. The pleasures of friction sent him over the edge, and he gave a deep growl as he emptied his seed into his mate. His ears perked at the sound of her calling his name with a certain urgency, and when they both came back down, he promptly flipped them over so that he was on top.

"Can't handle being on bottom very long, can you?" Sango breathed, a playful smile appearing on her lips.

"I guess not," Inuyasha chuckled, brushing aside stray strands of her hair from her face. "Besides, I work better from above, not below."

"We'll see."

He didn't reply but he did return her smile. He inhaled deeply, took a hold on her hips, and then began to drive deep into her with nothing on his mind but pleasing his mate. Almost instantly, she wrapped her legs around his waist and tried to find his rhythm. When she found it, she spread her knees a bit farther every time he thrust into her. He was amazed how far into her body he could go; he could almost bury himself completely within her, and considering his admirable size, this feat called for awe.

"Inu...yasha..." she moaned softly as he continued. "...f-faster..."

While he was surprised to hear this, he obliged and quickened his pace. He knew that once he did, his climax would come very soon, but before it did, he wanted to tease her a little. A quick nip on her neck made her jump a little, but he knew that he would have to do better than that. He slowed his pace to a very slow movement, and her whimper made him smile. Her closed eyes opened to gaze into his, wordlessly asking him what he was doing. He didn't answer, but responded by speeding up a bit. Her eyes closed again. Placing quick kisses down to her collarbone, and careful not to interrupt his continual thrusting, he took her right breast into his mouth and suckled it roughly.

"Inu...yasha..." she moaned much louder than before. She buried her fingers in his hair and led his head to her other breast, which he suckled just as fervently. "D-don't stop..."

He lingered on her breast a moment longer, then pulled away. He figured it was time he gave her the pleasure he had eluded from her, and besides, he was ready for it too. Moving his mouth up to plant little kisses along her jaw, he mumbled into her skin, "I hope you're ready."

Even though her ears had relocated because of her mating with him, Sango heard what he said. She gave a slow nod. "Go."

That was all he needed to hear before re-setting his pace to fast, deep, and forceful. It was clear that he was ready to give her a release that would show her that he was the only one who could please her this way. He believed it whole-heartedly, and as he repeatedly pushed himself into her, he listened to and enjoyed the frantic moaning of his name. He loved it.

He closed his eyes in concentration; he was determined to end this soon. After a few more angry thrusts, he felt her walls collapse on him and she tossed her head back and shouted his name louder than ever. Her arms tightened around his neck as she pulled him closer, and it was then he realized that he felt more at ease in her arms than anywhere else, and he held her a little closer as she continued to call for him. Right after that, he followed her into their secluded euphoria as they rode out their passions, and he clung to her tightly as he released his seed into her again, shuddering gently as he buried his face into her neck.

Finally, after they ran the course of their stamina, Inuyasha gently pulled out of her body and rolled over next to her. They both laid there for a moment on their backs, catching their breaths and staring up at the sky. After a while, Sango sat up and grabbed her yukata. She wrapped it around herself, and looked over at her mate. He hadn't moved, and his eyes were closed. She could tell he wasn't asleep, but if he were left alone long enough, he would be. She wanted to let him sleep, but first, she had something to say.

"Inuyasha?" she said, snuggling up next to him, "There's something I have to tell you."

"Hm?" he said, opening one eye to look at her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into him. "What's wrong?"

She flipped a few strands of hair behind one of the ears that sat perched on the top of her head. "Well, nothing's actually wrong, but something happened while you were gone that I think you should know about. At first, I wasn't going to tell you, but I know I'll feel horrible if you didn't know about it."

His other eye opened. "What is it?"

Looking down at the yukata that covered her, she shook her head to clear it of anything that would keep her from telling him about the offense. "Miroku... kissed me. It's obvious that he still loves me, so --"

"He WHAT?" the hanyou growled, sitting up straight. "I thought we had a fucking understanding!"

"Wait... what?"

Inuyasha rose to his feet and hastily snatched his clothes from the ground. Dressing quickly, he mumbled under his breath about what he planned to do to the monk once he got his hands on him. Sango dressed as well, all the while worried about what Inuyasha would do. She knew that Miroku could really get hurt if Inuyasha got mad enough, but she couldn't keep something like this from her mate, no matter how he'd react to it. However, there was one thing that she wasn't quite on board about. An understanding between the two males? What was that about? She decided that she would ask about that later. Right now she would focus on keeping Inuyasha from killing Miroku... maybe.

--

**AN:** Okay then. I hope you enjoyed the above text. I placed a good number of set ups for later on, so the following action won't be dull, I assure you. Anyway, review if you can, and... look out! Chapter Eight will creep up sooner than you think!


	8. Extricate

**AN: **How special is this? Another chapter to read. It's kind of a long one, but I like delivering long chapters. It kinda justifies the wait, right? Well, enjoy the following text, and review if you can.

* * *

**Where the Sun Rises**

**Chapter Eight:** Extricate

With furious steps, Inuyasha marched his way back towards their hut, continuing to mumble under his breath. His hands were balled into fists, and his eyebrows were so far downturned that the inner edges almost touched the bridge of his nose. There was no stopping him.

Sango had to jog to even keep up with him, and she could tell that she just caused the death of Miroku. But she couldn't _not_ tell Inuyasha about what happened. If she didn't, it was like cheating on him, right? Maybe.

Turning onto the dirt road, Inuyasha's steps quickened even more. He couldn't wait to enter the hut and wring the monk's neck. He could not believe that Miroku would do something like that, but maybe he had a death wish. Either way, that human was going to suffer insurmountable pain for placing his tainted lips on _this_ hanyou's mate. Inuyasha would make sure of that.

Approaching the door and throwing the curtain aside, he stormed inside and scanned the room. All he saw was an alarmed kitsune, neko and ferret, staring at him wide-eyed, and Kagome stirring a pot of boiling rice. And his brother sitting cross-legged in the corner. "When the hell did you get here?" Inuyasha asked, his anger suddenly replaced with confusion.

"Right after you left to spend some 'quality time' with your mate," Sesshomaru answered, not even bothering to stand. Then with a quick sniff, he promptly covered his nose. "You could have done us all a favor and bathed before you came back."

"I would have, but I have a monk to kill first," Inuyasha replied, scanning the room again with narrowed eyes. "Where is he?"

Kagome rose from her kneeling position at the pot and walked over. "I don't know where he is. He's been gone for a while. What did he do?"

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'll get him when he comes back. He ain't going to get away with this."

"Master, should I go and search for him?" Mizuki asked from his spot on the floor between Shippo and Kirara.

Inuyasha shook his head again. Saying nothing else, he side-stepped Sango who was standing behind him and went back outside. She followed him, but stopped short of tailing him back onto the dirt road and into the trees. She watched him leave, and once she was sure he was gone, she turned and entered the hut again.

"Sango, what's going on?" Kagome asked, sitting down next to Shippo on the floor. "Inuyasha was really mad. And I knew he wasn't going to give up any information. So... why is he so mad at Miroku?"

Sango joined everyone else on the floor, but didn't answer. She flipped her hair out of her face with a heavy sigh, and then proceeded to pet Kirara. "I assume that you told him," Sesshomaru said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah, I did."

"Told him what?"

"It is natural that he wants to kill that monk. That human had no business touching a demon's mate. He deserves to die."

"Miroku touched you? How? Where?"

"I know it's the code, but I would feel horrible if Inuyasha hurt him. But I couldn't keep what happened to myself. Miroku needs to understand that I don't want to be with him anymore."

Kagome couldn't take it anymore. "Can one of you tell me what Miroku did?! You are both ignoring me! Tell me!"

Sesshomaru had to close his eyes and exercise his infamous self-control to keep from striking the miko. "The monk put his lips on my brother's mate, and now he will die for it."

"Oh."

He wasn't finished. "And if you ever disrupt a conversation in that manner again, I will sever your head from your body. Do not think I am saying this in jest."

Sango sighed in exasperation. "I hope this turns out better than what I'm thinking it will."

"Me too," Kagome agreed, resting her head on top of her drawn up knees. "But I don't think Inuyasha would actually kill Miroku. We've been through way too much to throw a friendship away over something like this."

Sango nodded. "But you know how Inuyasha is. He doesn't think before he does anything. He might actually carry out his threat."

"I do not see why you are so worried about this. It has to be done." Sesshomaru crossed his arms and stared at her. "This is not something that requires this much conversation. The monk will die, and you will move on."

"But-" Sango tried to interject.

"Listen to me," the youkai's voice became very hard and stern. "This is what you have to deal with when you mate with a demon. If another male comes into contact with you, he dies. The monk should have kept his body to himself. Now he has to deal with the punishment. Now, I do not want to hear another word about it. If you want to save that human's life, it is not me you should be asking. Go find your mate and ask him."

"Fine," Sango said, climbing to her feet. "I'll go and find h-"

She was cut off by a sudden uproar that was taking place outside. Rushing out of the hut with Kagome, Mizuki, Shippo, and Kirara at her heels, Sango froze as she saw Miroku's frantic attempt to get out of Inuyasha's grip. Clawed hands were wrapped around a reddened throat, and the victim desperately scratched at the hands which held his life in their grasp.

"Inuyasha!" Sango gasped, preparing to run and keep him from killing their longtime traveling companion. But she was restrained by Sesshomaru, who appeared in the doorway, and held her arm firmly. She looked up at him, wildly. "What are you doing?"

He ignored her, and kept his eyes on the action that was taking place in the middle of the dirt road. He watched as his younger brother applied more pressure to the small neck of the human, and silently wished that it would be ended soon. This didn't particularly interest him.

The same could be said for the attacker. Inuyasha didn't want to spend _too_ much time in killing his former friend; he knew Sango wouldn't approve. A moment or two later of slowly suffocating Miroku with just one hand, he decided it was time to get his task over with. Just as he was tightening his grip to collapse the throat he held in his hand, a loud shriek was heard.

Pausing long enough to look down the dirt road, he saw a young woman running towards him. She looked strangely familiar, yet he couldn't place her face. She had long, chestnut colored hair, with very bright green eyes. She seemed so familiar...

"Miroku!" she gasped in concern as she ran toward him, but slowed considerably when she saw a demon holding him by the throat. "Please let him go!" she pleaded, clasping her hands together. "I love him; please don't kill him!"

Inuyasha had to take another look at her coupled with the sound of her voice to remember who she was. It all came together; she was the whore Miroku cheated on Sango with back at the town with the numerous taverns. He remembered the woman now, but in a way, he really had to thank her. Had she not seduced Miroku into bed, then it may have taken longer for him and Sango to come together. In a way, he owed her.

He glared down at the pink face of the man he resolved to kill and back up at the girl. He closed his eyes and held a quick conference with himself. Instead of killing him now, he had a better idea. Releasing his hold on Miroku's neck, he watched the terrified man fall to the ground, gasping for air. The woman knelt next to him, hugging him tightly and whispering about how happy she was that he wasn't killed. Once he caught his breath, she helped him to his feet.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha asked the woman, cracking his knuckles.

His gesture not going unnoticed, the woman answered shakily, "My name is Kira. I live in the town down the road. Soon, Miroku and I will be getting married."

"What?" Kagome gasped, covering her mouth. "Are you crazy?"

"No," she smiled, turning to Miroku, who was rubbing his throat. "I fell for him when he and his friends came to my father's tavern. I asked my father for their free lodging, and me and my Miroku made love all night in his room."

Inuyasha couldn't find the words to say anything. He just turned to Sango, whose face didn't tell him anything about what she was thinking. Her blank eyes only stared at the woman, and with just a second passing, she erupted into laughter.

Sesshomaru gave her a puzzled look, and slowly let go of her arm. He figured she had gone crazy. What about this situation was so funny? He had no idea.

Sango clapped her hands together as she doubled over in giggles. Everyone could only look at her while she continued her complete enjoyment of what was going on. Her tiny fangs glistened the sunlight as another round of laughter escaped her throat. Finally, once she got herself together, she smoothed out her hair and cleared her throat. "Sorry about that," she grinned, flicking her ears. "I'm okay now. I just want to wish you two luck and... have a nice life."

"Thank you!" the woman clapped, unaware of the undertones in the demon slayer's statement.

"So... um... you said your name is Kira, right?" Kagome asked, scratching her head.

She nodded.

"It's obvious you and Miroku are sleeping together since his stench is all over you," Inuyasha cut in, but he caught Sango's warning glance. However, he decided to continue. "So... you aren't pregnant, are you?"

"Inuyasha!" Sango hissed, approaching him and hitting his arm. Turning to Kira, she said, "please disregard him. He's not the most polite guy."

"It's okay," Kira said, nervously. She had spotted Sango's pointed ears perched on the top of her head. She was clearly afraid of them both. "But it's alright if I answer his question. I'm not pregnant yet."

"Yet?" Shippo piped up from the doorway of the hut. "You mean you are going to have his child?"

A staggering Miroku stepped into the conversation. "Yes, she is. She agreed to it last night."

"I'm sure she did," Kagome snickered, bending down to pick up Shippo.

"Well, all that's gonna have to wait," Inuyasha told her, cracking his knuckles again.

"Why?"

"He's going with me to the Eastern Lands. I need him to help me fight and claim the land. You can do whatever you want when he comes back, but until then, you better hold off on making human babies."

"What?" Miroku interjected, outraged. "You mean after you tried to kill me you want me to help you? Are you serious?"

The hanyou's golden irises found violet ones. His gaze was piercing; he wasn't in the mood for _that_ human's mouth. "Yes, I'm very serious. How about this: if you don't help me, I'll kill you. Then your woman can marry someone else, and she'll forget all about you. How does that sound?"

The monk gulped. "I'll fight right by your side."

"Good. Now get a lot of sleep tonight. We head out tomorrow morning."

"Got it."

* * *

He wrapped his arms around her naked body and lightly kissed her forehead. "I'm going to miss you."

"Me too. I couldn't tell you how I survived your leaving the first time."

"Well, look at it this way. I won't be away as long. As soon as I gain complete control I'm going to start construction on your castle, and while it's being built, I'll come back and get you. Then you're gonna have the best castle anyone has ever seen."

She looked up at him with shimmering eyes. "I told you that you don't have to do all that for me."

"I want to."

She placed feathery kisses along his neck. She smiled into his skin. "I love you."

"I love you too."

She watched him flick his ears, and with a laugh, flicked hers too.

"What's so funny?" he asked, looking down into her face.

"I really like my new ears, that's all."

"Obviously."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "You know, I'm a little worried."

"Why?"

"I just afraid that you won't have enough fighters to help you. I mean, you are going into lands that aren't yours and fighting demons who probably have armies of other demons just ready to rip apart anyone who objects to them. Aren't you afraid?"

He shook his head, but they both knew that he was lying. "If I want to claim land, then I really don't have many options in how I do it. They challenged me, and if I win, I rule the East. So really, all I have to do is win."

She broke their embrace and sat up straight. The chilly night air made her draw a blanket around her bare shoulders. "You say that like it's so simple."

He sat up too. He didn't bother with a blanket. "It _is_ that simple. Win or be killed, those are my choices when I go back there."

She sighed in frustration. "Fine, if you aren't worried, then I will be worried for you. There is no way that I am comfortable with you going back there and possibly not coming back."

"I will be back. I'm not going to lose."

"How can you be so sure?"

He stretched out his arms and pulled her to him. "Because I know that you'll be here, waiting for me."

She relaxed into his chest, but wasn't comforted. "You don't have enough help."

"I know."

"So what do you plan to do about it?"

"I don't know. Maybe Mizuki knows some fighters that can help us."

She raised her eyes to his and gave him a tiny smile. "I guess you really have no choice..."

He knew what was coming. Immediately, he began to shake his head. "No. Don't even start that."

Her smile grew. She placed a soft hand on his cheek and gave him a light kiss right along his jaw. "I could help you."

"Sango, I already told you no," he said, trying his hardest not to kiss her back. "I don't want you to go."

Another kiss. "So are you going to leave me here all alone? Besides, I've always loved fighting by your side. You know that."

"No."

She paused. She realized her current persuasive method wasn't working, so with her quick thinking, another idea hatched. "Okay. You win."

He looked at her questioningly. She gave in so easily. Surely she wasn't serious. He gave her a stare that meant he was on his guard. He was determined not to let her trick him.

"Well, you leave tomorrow..." she continued, pulling away from him. She reached for their food basket and began moving things around inside of it. She was looking for something. It bothered him that she deliberately set her back to him as she shuffled around. He still didn't trust her.

Finding what she was searching for, she turned to him, and tried to give him a smile. It was feeble; clearly she was hurt by his decision to leave her behind. In her trembling hands, she held a rosary. _His_ rosary. "I hope you'll wear this when you go back," she said, voice wavering. She was on the verge of tears. "It probably doesn't work anymore, but at least you'll think of me when you look at it..."

He bent forward to allow her to slip the rosary around his neck. It was cold against his skin. While she did so, he couldn't seem to understand her last statement. Why would he remember _her_ whenever he looked at the rosary? It was Kagome who held its power over him. Entirely confused, he decided to ask. "Why would this remind me of you? It was made for Kagome to use-"

"SIT BOY!"

The weight of the rosary activated by those dreaded words slammed his face into the grass. Struggling to sit up, he gave her a bewildered look. "What the hell was that?"

"That's why you'll think of me," Sango said with a playful smile and arms crossed over her chest. "I had the power transferred to me. Kaede did it the day after you left. I never thought I'd have to use this, but you really left me with no choice. If you weren't being so stubborn, I could've kept this locked away. But obviously, you want to keep me here instead of letting me help you, so I had to activate it. Now if you don't change your mind, then you and the ground will be better acquainted than you ever were when Kagome controlled that rosary."

His dazed eyes turned to anger, and he glared at her with all his might. But he knew she wasn't joking. She'd be a lot more unforgiving than Kagome was. Working to his disadvantage, that was another reason why he loved his mate so much. Oh, the pains of love!

Sighing in defeat, he nodded. "Fine. You can come with me. But Kirara has to go too. I don't want you within striking range of those damn boars. And under no circumstances are they to find out that you are my mate. If they knew, they'd come after you twice as hard. Got it?"

"Okay!" she cheered, clapping her hands. "Now, that's the compromising Inuyasha I love to see!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he whispered, "now, how about removing this rosary from my neck?"

Kissing his cheek again, she whispered back, "not a chance."

* * *

**AN: **I wrote this chapter three times, and still I don't like it. But that's the pains of being an author, I guess. Well, I sense the end of this fic is upon us, so let's just hope I can find a suitable ending for it. Grr... damn writer's block. Well, review if you want and let's hope I can deliver a good battle scene for Chapter Nine!


	9. Copycat

**AN:** Well, I am sorry for the long hiatus. A lot has been happening with me, but I'm good now. All right, I guess that's it. Enjoy and review if you like.

* * *

**Where the Sun Rises**

**Chapter Nine:** Copycat

"Y'know, I don't think it was the best of ideas to bring Kira along, Miroku," Inuyasha said, scratching the top of his head. "She could really get hurt."

"Oh, don't worry about me! My Miroku will protect me," Kira said, squeezing the monk's arm even tighter.

Miroku raised his head in pride. "Yeah. I'll protect her. She'll be perfectly safe."

Inuyasha shook his head in pity at the false heroics of his friend. As he stepped over a fallen tree, he tried to count all the times Miroku actually protected anybody. He only needed three fingers.

"Inuyasha, how much farther is it?" Sango asked from ahead, pausing and turning to hear the answer.

"We should be there by tomorrow morning," he answered, catching up to his mate. "If we didn't have to stop and rest every hour, we _would_ get there a lot sooner."

Sango snickered as she grabbed his arm and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked. "I agree, but I used to be human so I can sympathize too. I'm sure they are trying to go as long as they can before another break. Be a little more patient. How do you expect to rule the Eastern Lands with a temper like yours?"

"By fear."

"And that's why I'll be there. To make sure you don't."

He looked down at her. "I guess you're right. You _do_ have some sort of power over me."

She reached up and rolled his rosary between her fingers. "I sure do."

"Funny, funny."

The voice of Kagome broke into their conversation. "Inuyasha, we need to take a break."

He rolled his eyes and a low growl brewed in his throat. "We just had a break."

"That was two hours ago!"

Another low growl. "Fine."

He felt Sango's hand grasp his and give it a light squeeze. He didn't say anything, but he did take a seat on the grass, taking Sango with him. Pulling her into his lap and wrapping his arms around her waist, he watched the rest of their group nearly collapse in fatigue. He shook his head in shame and took to nuzzling his mate's neck instead. He was glad that she wasn't a human anymore; she didn't need the unnecessary things humans needed. She didn't need him to constantly save her life or for him to carry her whenever her feet got tired. And she certainly didn't need some stupid two-wheeled contraption to get around. Whenever they were alone or even when he was close to Sango, he was always reminded that he made the right decision in picking a mate. For once, he got something right.

"Inuyasha, I have a question." He stopped his nuzzling to look up and see Kagome standing over them.

"What?"

She nervously rubbed her arm and looked away. "I don't really know how to ask you this, but I figured that if anyone could help, it would be you."

"Okay. Can you get to your question?" A sharp elbow to the side made him wince.

"Well... I kind of... need to talk to your brother about something, and I need you to call him for me."

He threw her a suspicious look. "Why are you so nervous?"

The miko kept her eyes averted. "Can you call him for me or not?"

"What do you want?" the voice behind her made her jump. She turned to see the very youkai she wanted to summon. "Talk."

Kagome glanced down at Sango and Inuyasha before returning her gaze back to Sesshomaru. "We need to talk in private, if that's okay with you."

He sighed lightly and strode off into the thickening trees. "Make it quick."

Kagome scurried after him without another word. When they were gone, everyone was silent. Finally, Miroku asked, "what was that all about?"

"I don't know," Inuyasha answered, letting Sango go and standing up. "But I don't like how suspicious they are being. What could they possibly have to talk about?"

Sango chuckled as she shook her head. "I think you guys are reading too much into this. The two of them having a conversation isn't the weirdest thing that has happened."

"No, no. I agree with Inuyasha. I don't trust this," Miroku said. "I mean, Sesshomaru isn't the first person I'd trust for anything."

"I'm sure you wouldn't," Sango replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "But if the two of them want to talk, then we should let them. Besides, I'm sure it isn't anything we should worry about. If there was trouble, surely they'd tell us."

Inuyasha scratched the back of his head, wallowing in thought. "But since they aren't, that should mean there's no trouble. So like I said before, what could they possibly be discussing?"

"None of your business," Sesshomaru cut in, returning from the hidden area of private discussion. "You have other things to be worrying about."

"Such as why you are here, right? I know you couldn't have forseen Kagome wanting to talk to you about _whatever_ you were talking about. I hope you didn't come to help me secure my lands. I don't need your help."

The youkai said nothing as he waited for his brother to finish. "You are right. I did come for a reason, but it was not to help you fight. It looks to me that you have gathered your friends to aid you in that. But to offer a word of wisdom, I do not think it was a great idea to bring your mate to an event such as this."

Sending a glare at Sango, then back to his brother, Inuyasha shrugged. "I really didn't have a choice."

Sesshomaru seemed not to care and continued. "I came here to offer you my services."

Sango, still seated on the ground, looked up at her in-law. "Really? Well, that's very nice of you."

Inuyasha didn't say anything. He gave his sibling a skeptical look. "This is a joke, isn't it? I don't need your help. We can take care of everything ourselves. We don't need you hanging around. You've been doing enough of that."

"I am trying to be patient with you. But you are making it very hard for me."

"I don't care. We don't need your help."

Cutting in by holding up her hands, Sango asked, "is there some specific reason why we would need you? Is there some information that we don't know about that would cause you to want to help?"

Sesshomaru glanced at her. "I am doing this on my own accord."

"Then you can leave on your own accord too," Inuyasha said, balling up his fists. "Maybe your hearing ain't as sharp as it used to be. I'm pretty sure I told you that we don't need you."

"It does not matter. You are getting help whether you want it or not."

Before Inuyasha could respond, Sango cut in again. "Inuyasha, clearly he's not going to leave. Since he's here, we might as well let him lend us a hand. It will make it all the more easier to defeat the boars and take over the land. What's it going to hurt?"

Taking a second to stare at her, Inuyasha answered, "if he helps us win against those bastard boars, he can make a case in saying he deserves some of my land. Then I'll say, 'Go to hell', he won't like that, and we have another fight on our hands."

"Why would I want this terrible land? There is nothing here that sparks my interest," Sesshomaru said, cringing a little. "Trust me, there is nothing here that I want."

"Inuyasha, just let him stay. Besides, we might need to extra help."

Continuing to stare at Sango, Inuyasha kept quiet. It was obvious that he didn't like what was happening, but he knew Sango wasn't budging. He also knew that she had a sort of fondness and trust for his brother, and because of it he would have to endure fighting alongside the youkai. He didn't like it one bit, but over time he learned to heed the hunches of his mate; she was usually right in the end. _'Fine, I'll go along with it. But he better not try anything. If he does, then those boars won't be the only ones to lose limbs.'_

Using Inuyasha's silence as approval for his brother's aid, Sango smiled and nodded. "Thank you Sesshomaru," she said, giving her ears a flick. "We really appreciate this."

"Appreciate what you will. Just do not forget that my decision is for my own gain, not yours."

"Well, in that case, then we should get going," Inuyasha sighed, helping Sango to her feet. "With any luck, we can win the East before tomorrow's nightfall. With the mighty Lord of the West on our side, we should be victorious in no time."

Not impressed by the sarcastic undertones in Inuyasha's statement, Sesshomaru responded, "you are right. Who knows how many tries it would take you to defeat these _horrifying_ creatures."

Holding a hand to her head, Kagome groaned, "please, do not start fighting. We have to get going if we plan on arriving soon."

"I agree," Sango nodded. "We need to endure this traveling as long as we can without so many breaks. If we arrive earlier than they expected, we may gain an advantage."

Reluctantly, the brothers quieted down as traveling resumed. After about an half hour of silence, Inuyasha slowly began to drift further and further away from the front of the pack until he eventually reached the back. With Sesshomaru. He could tell Sesshomaru was suspicious of him, but didn't care. He just had to ask. Taking a quick peek to make sure Sango wasn't looking, he whispered, "so what's the _real_ reason you decided to help us?"

Two pairs of identical eyes glared into each other. "What, you do not believe me?"

"Not one bit. I know you too well to believe that you would help us unless it was for an obvious cause. I know you have a reputation to uphold, and if you were to associate with humans, you would want a justifiable reason. So what is it?"

The elder of the two couldn't immediately reply. He knew Inuyasha was right... he had been found out. And by the half-wit. He took a moment to consult his higher thinking and came to a conclusion. He would tell his reason only because it was going to be a matter of time until everyone knew anyway. "All right, I will tell you. But you have to keep your mouth shut. Your mate does not need to know this."

"Sango?" Inuyasha said, scrunching his eyebrows together. "Why would she care?"

"Because I decided to mate with the miko."

A forceful whisper barely kept his surprise a secret. "WHAT? Why the hell would you do that for? Are you insane?!"

"Mutual benefit."

"What do you get from it?"

"An heir," Sesshomaru said simply. "I get an heir, and she gets a castle. Just like her friend."

* * *

**AN:** Okay then. It has just been brought to my attention that August 15th will be the one year anniversary for 'When the Truth Rings'. So that means a few things. That means I have a week to finish this fic. I want to be done with it so I can post a special one-shot on that day. I really hope that the ending doesn't seem rushed, so I will do what I can to keep that from happening. Well, I hope you like this chapter, despite my extreme hiatus. But I seem to finally be back on track. Review if you like, and Chapter Ten is on its way!


	10. Storm

**AN:** Okay now, I arrive with Chapter Ten. Surely I won't go another three months without making an update. That was terrible of me; I apologize again. Well, enough of me. Enjoy and review if you wanna.

* * *

**Where the Sun Rises**

**Chapter Ten: **Storm

"Are you serious? You mean to tell me that he's here?"

"Y-yes sir."

"How the hell could Nenmu have been right?" Yukito exclaimed. "How did he know that Lord Sesshomaru would be here?"

"Sounds like he was just saying that the Lord might show out of concern. I doubt he knew anything," Ryoma said, rolling around on the mat he was on. Finding a comfortable position on his stomach, he continued, "Besides, why would he get privileged information like that and not tell any of us about it?"

Yukito shrugged as he began to pace the floor. "Maybe he wants us to get killed. That's why he didn't tell us Lord Sesshomaru was coming. If he did, then he knew we would try to prepare for his arrival. But by leaving the group and not saying anything, now we won't have enough time to do anything to save ourselves. But I've got his number, all right..."

"You aren't going to do anything!" Kazuki growled from his spot on the floor. "We are going to worry about Lord Sesshomaru when he gets here. And I agree with Ryoma, Nenmu probably didn't know anything. It's just a coincidence that he was right. Things like that happen, Yukito. It doesn't mean that we were set up."

"We'll see."

Heaving a tired sigh, Kazuki stood. "Y'know, dealing with you makes me exhausted, Yukito. I'm going to bed. That pest and his fighters should be arriving in the morning. We should all be getting some sleep so we can make this guy go away tomorrow. At the break of dawn, we are all going to be ready to kill!"

"You got it!" Ryoma said, clapping his hooves together. "We're going to get him."

"Exactly. See you two tomorrow morning," Kazuki nodded, trudging through the massive hallways to his room. Once Yukito was sure he was gone, he gave Ryoma a mischievous look.

"Like I said, I've got Nenmu's number..."

Ryoma looked at his comrade suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't think Kazuki is in his right mind. Of _course_ Nenmu set us up. Coincidence? Yeah right."

"So what if he did? It's already too late, what are you doing to do about it?"

Yukito stopped pacing and grinned at his friend. "We are going to kill him."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Of course I am! If we are going to get killed my Lord Sesshomaru, why should he get off so easily? We are going to meet him again in hell anyway, so why not make sure he saves us seats?"

"You are crazy!"

Yukito's evil grin widened. "I know."

Ryoma shook his head. "I'm not sure I want to go along with this."

"Sure you do. Nenmu set us up. Don't you want to get him back for it?"

"Yeah, I do, but what is Kazuki going to think about it? I don't think he'll want to do it."

Yukito rubbed his hands together. "I'm certain he won't. But that's why we are going to do it without him. In fact, let's do it tonight."

"Tonight? How do we even know where he is?"

"We'll find him. Leave it to me. Tonight, Nenmu's going to pay."

* * *

"Is that a drop of rain?" Kagome asked, wiping a wet spot from her cheek.

Inuyasha sniffed the air. "Yeah, that's rain. It smells like it's gonna be a storm. We should find shelter soon. I'm not gonna stand for anyone getting sick when we have boars to kill."

"Is there a village nearby? I don't think that there would be many places for us to go to escape the rain," Kagome said, wiping another drop from her face. "Unless we find a cave somewhere."

Miroku pointed through the trees to an upcoming clearing. "If there's rock close by, then we can just make a cave. That should work just fine."

A piercing squeal from Kira flattened the ears of the present demons. "Oh, my Miroku is so smart! He'll make a wonderful father!"

An eye-roll from Inuyasha showed his continued repugnance for the human woman, but he decided to leave her comment alone. "Miroku's right. Making a cave would be fastest, so keep your eyes open."

In optimistic silence the group trudged through the increasingly wet foliage until they reached a clearing bordered by a small river with a wall of rock behind it. "It's good that we didn't have to go too far," Sango said, shrugging her shoulders. "So, how are we going to hollow it out?"

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru stepped forward. "I'll do it," Inuyasha said, eying his brother.

"No. I will take care of it."

"No, I don't want you to dirty your special royal clothes. I'll do it."

Sesshomaru glared at him. "Watch your tongue. Now, step back and let me do it."

As the brothers clamored on, Sango slapped her forehead with her palm. "Why did I even ask?"

* * *

"So, he's supposed to be here?" Ryoma whispered, huddling closer to Yukito.

"Yeah. He should be close."

"I still don't know about this."

Yukito looked over his shoulder at his accomplice. "He needs to pay for what he did. And besides, we'll make it quick. Stab him a few times, cut his throat, and we're gone. Easy as pie."

"Still, I don't know --"

"Shh! There he is!"

Through the dark trees Nenmu could be seen starting his fire for the night. He had two sticks in his hooves and rubbing them together feverishly, trying to create a spark. He had positioned a thicket of leaves over his camp to block out the drizzle of rain from above, and even expanded the thicket a little beyond his camp border. Next to his hind hooves lay a small pile of berries that were to serve as his dinner. The fire was for comfort and heat; he had nothing to cook over it. Finally a spark shot out from the sticks' friction and caught on the pile of leaves he laid out for the fire. The leaves slowly began to burn, and Nenmu nodded in satisfaction. He sat down next to the fire and started his dinner.

"Let's go," Yukito whispered, slowly drawing closer. When he was just beyond the trees in Nenmu's view, he signaled Ryoma to be ready. "On three, we rush out and attack him. Got it?"

Ryoma nodded uneasily, but didn't protest. Upon the three count, the pair ran from the trees and into the camp. Ryoma seized Nenmu and pinned him to the ground as Yukito stood over him. "Ryoma? Yukito? What are you doing here?" Nenmu panted, bewildered.

"We are here to make you understand that you can't sabotage us and live," Yukito said, drawing the blade he was concealing.

"What are you talking about?"

Tightening his hold on him, Ryoma said, "we know that you set us up. We know that Lord Sesshomaru is approaching with his brother."

Shaking his head, Nenmu tried to struggle from Ryoma's hold. "I didn't do anything! What does Lord Sesshomaru being here have to do with me?"

"You knew that he was coming! That's why you left, " Yukito said, gripping the blade tighter. "You told him to come and then left us like you were being cautious. But we saw right through your act, and since Lord Sesshomaru is here to help his brother kill us, then maybe we should all die together."

"What! Are you crazy?"

Kneeling in front of his victim, he whispered, "you know, you are the second person to ask me that tonight. If so many demons think that I am crazy, then maybe I am."

Ryoma looked up at Yukito, stared back at him with a devilish smile. "Maybe Nenmu's telling the truth."

"He's a liar!" Yukito growled, standing up straight again. "But that's okay. Before he dies, he's going to admit what he did. Lucky for me, I brought a little rope so we can tie him up. I'm going to hear the truth whether he voluntarily gives it up or not."

"Don't you think that you are going a little too far? You said that we were going to kill him and then we'll leave. You never mentioned tying him up and torturing him."

Upon hearing the word 'torture', Nenmu began to struggle even more. "P-please let me go! I didn't do anything, I swear! Please let me live!"

Growling low in his throat because of his comrade's reluctancy to further his plan and his victim's cries, Yukito made a decision. "Fine, we won't torture him. Besides, if we're gone too long, Kazuki will find out that we left."

"You mean that Kazuki doesn't know you're here?" Nenmu asked, abandoning his cries of release.

"Shut up! I'm growing tired of you, so to make this quick, I'll just slit your throat."

Nenmu's whimpering and squirming continued as Yukito approached him with the knife. He forcefully threw Nenmu's head back and swiftly brought the blade down on his neck. A loud gurgling sound was heard, but soon after, there was only silence. Ryoma let go of Nenmu's arms and the still body slumped to the ground. The stray drops of rain wiggled their way through the protective thicket and onto the dead body of the former captain. A few moments later, the thicket completely fell apart, leaving the two remaining boars exposed to the hardening rain. Despite the rain, both of them stayed where they were in silence. Neither one knew what to say; they had just killed a demon they had known for many years. Finally, Ryoma found the legs to stand, and said somberly, "maybe we should bury his body before we go."

Yukito shook his head, flinging raindrops from his skin. "Why? No one's going to bury us when _we_ die. He's no one special. Let's go. I don't want Kazuki to worry."

* * *

"Wow, it's really coming down," Sango said in awe, standing at the cave's entrance, staring out into the blanket of rain. "I wonder how much longer it'll be raining like this."

Coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, Inuyasha said deeply, "Y'know, if we were alone the rain would be the last thing on your mind."

"I know," she replied, and the pair chuckled together. He lightly kissed her neck, and she gently stroked his cheek. "But that will have to wait until later."

He grunted in acknowledgement as he nuzzled into her neck, continuing to lightly kiss the small insignia that contrasted against her light skin. "I can't wait until all this is over. And when it is, I will order construction to start on building your castle. It will have everything Sesshomaru's does but better."

"Better, eh?"

"Of course. He will be jealous of our castle and he will have to add wings to his to make it better."

She laughed under her breath. "Yeah, I can imagine him being jealous. It's a little scary."

"I agree. But it's gonna happen. You just wait and see."

Clearing his throat, Sesshomaru interrupted their conversation. "If you two weren't so busy laughing and sharing secrets, then you would have noticed that there are demons approaching."

Releasing Sango from his hold on her, Inuyasha stood next to her and they both sniffed the air. "Wow. He's right. I'm surprised I didn't catch that smell earlier," she said, crinkling her nose. "At least it isn't too strong. We can thank the rain for that."

"It's those damn boars. What are they doing, looking for us?" Inuyasha growled, placing a hand on his Tetsusaiga. "If they are, then I guess they can't wait to get chopped to pieces."

"I would suggest that you both get away from the opening. They could have demons aiming at you with a weapon right now," Sesshomaru warned, finally sitting down, coincidentally next to Kagome.

Sango took a few steps back, dragging a rubber-necking hanyou. "I can't see from back here," he whined.

"You'll see them soon enough," she told him, fingering a katana in her hand. "They might be searching for shelter from the rain, so they might come in here. Then they'll be right where you want them."

Inuyasha snickered. "Why would they want to come into a cave for shelter when they have a place to stay already? That doesn't make sense."

"We'll see."

* * *

"Is there a cave nearby or something? I don't like running in the rain," Ryoma asked, sprinting behind Yukito. "Besides, we aren't very close to home, so maybe we can find a place to stay until the rain blows over."

"Good idea, but I don't think there is a place we can go. But if you see one, let me know."

Ryoma nodded and continued running. His eyes scanned the terrain, but didn't see anything. A frown began to set in due to his disappointment of not being able to find anything. But it was erased when he saw an upcoming hole in a tall rock. "Hey, up ahead. Next to the river. I think that might be a hollowed cave."

Yukito squinted through the heavy rain to the point indicated. "Yeah, I think that's one. Let's try it out."

The two boar demons hopped over a few fallen branches and slowed to a stop next to a river. Yukito peered over the river to see that there indeed was a cave just beyond it. He turned over his shoulder and nodded to Ryoma. "It's good. Let's go inside."

With a great leap, they cleared the running water and landed in the entrance of the shelter. Ryoma shook his head wildly, flinging water to the ground. "That's better."

"It sure is," Yukito agreed, following suit in dispelling the excess water from his body. He groaned and sat on the ground of the dark cave.

"I can't believe you didn't notice all of us here," a voice laughed, just beyond the darkness.

Yukito leapt to his feet. He drew his blade and held it out in front of him. "Who's there?"

Slowly stepping into the dim light, Inuyasha appeared. He held his Tetsusaiga in his hand, and he didn't look happy. "Seems like we get to see each other a bit early. But I gotta be honest, I've missed you two. Especially you, Yukito."

"Why the hell are you here in this cave."

"Same reason as you," Inuyasha said, venturing closer to the trembling boar. Without his men around, he didn't seem too confident. "But I'm a little hurt that you didn't say you missed me too. Maybe it's because you don't want to make my friends jealous."

"Friends --?" Yukito asked, taking a step away from the approaching hanyou. "Who's with you?"

"Doesn't matter. You're fighting _me_... now."

* * *

**AN:** Yep, another one down. I've planned everything out. There are two more chapter slated for this fic, and then I'll be finished. I hope you all are enjoying this. Review if you like, and with any luck, Chapter Eleven should be out tomorrow. Damn job.


	11. Eliminated

**AN: **Okay now, this is very much near completion. I have one more chapter after this, and I hope everything works itself out in terms of making sense. Enjoy this below and review if you wanna.

* * *

**Where the Sun Rises:**

**Chapter Eleven: **Eliminated

"No no, we can't fight right now," Yukito said, taking another step back. "We are supposed to fight tomorrow. Besides, you have your fighters with you... I don't have mine with me."

Inuyasha advanced another step. "It doesn't matter if they're with me or not. They are not fighting you. I am."

Glancing over his shoulder at Ryoma, Yukito's voice strengthened. "Well, you have to fight me and Ryoma. If you insist on fighting a Captain, then you have to go against both of us."

The hanyou shrugged nonchalantly. "Fits me fine. Attack me, I'm ready."

Yukito's eyes narrowed at his opponent's arrogance, and with a yelp, began his charge. However, before he went too far a shrill scream echoed throughout the cave. The boar stopped and everyone looked with concern at the source of the sound; Kira.

"Please don't fight while I'm in here!" she wailed, clutching Miroku's sleeve. "I'm scared, and I don't want to see any blood! Please let me leave before you kill each other!"

Inuyasha raised a curious brow at her words. Was she serious? After her crying continued in contrast to the silence of everyone else, he convinced himself that she was. But he was not about to let her go, especially since she would have to walk past these shifty boars to get outside. She would have to stay put. "You're not leaving so if you don't want to see this, cover your eyes," he shouted at her over her bawling.

"No! No! No! I'm leaving!" she screamed again, breaking free of Miroku's hold on her arm. She bolted from the darkness and into view as she tried to exit. Yukito watched her curiously, then acting quickly, grabbed her arm and pulled her into him. "Let me go!"

"Aww, sweetheart, I'm afraid I absolutely cannot do that," he cooed, stroking the top of her head with the blade. "You were told to stay where you were, but you did not listen. Now you will have to serve as my hostage."

"Let her go," Inuyasha demanded. "She has nothing to do with our fight. And I hope you know that this shows how truly weak you are. If you could really beat me, you wouldn't need a hostage to keep me from hitting you. But you should know, I'm going to attack you anyway."

Surprised and furious, Miroku spoke up. "You can't be serious. You can't attack him while he has Kira! What's wrong with you?"

"I don't like her anyway."

"WHAT?"

Ryoma was next to draw his blade. He heard another voice but could not see where it originated. He peered into the darkness that concealed the deeper sections of the cave. "Who else is in there?"

Expecting to see a human expose himself to the light, Ryoma was terribly surprised when Sesshomaru stepped out. His mouth dropped open and he started to tremble. "It does not matter who else is here. I suggest that you should concentrate on your task."

"L-lord Sesshomaru, it's you..." Ryoma gasped, stepping behind Yukito, placing his comrade between himself and the youkai. "What are you doing here?"

The question was never answered as Inuyasha took the opportunity to launch his attack. Using his superior speed, he ran towards Yukito and barreled into him, toppling him and Ryoma over. The group of fighters and squealing girl tumbled roughly out of the cave and into the river. The rain and river water splashed onto them, and the forceful current used its power to carry them downstream. "Kira!" Miroku called, running to the edge of the river. "Kira!"

"It's okay Miroku, Inuyasha won't let anything happen to her," Kagome said, walking up beside him. "She'll be fine. She'll be soaked, but fine."

"So, what should we do now?"

Sango rubbed her chin. "We should stay here for when Inuyasha comes back. Besides, none of us know this area. We might get lost and it could take days to figure out where we are."

Kagome nodded in agreement. "She's right. We should stay where we are. We all saw what happened to Kira when she didn't stay put."

Miroku opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Sango. "I hope that everything turns out okay. I'll try not to think negatively, but we have to be prepared for the worst."

"Don't worry Sango," Kagome soothed, rubbing her friend's back. "Just continue to have faith in Inuyasha. He'll make everything okay. That's what he's best at."

* * *

Hollowed footsteps echoed throughout the cave Sango paced the floor, wringing her hands and worrying. "Please sit down, you are making us all nervous," Kagome pleaded, rubbing her cross-legged knees from her spot on the floor. "I'm just as worried as you are, but he's coming back."

The demon slayer paused in her steps to look at the miko. "It's been two days and he hasn't come back. I can't just sit down and wait... I'm two seconds away from going out there to look for him myself."

Kagome didn't push the subject any further as she moved to rubbing her arms. Keeping the silence intact for another moment, she finally replied, "I'm sure that Sesshomaru would go and look for Inuyasha. I think that he might know these lands a little bit. Right?"

Upon hearing his name, Sesshomaru's ears perked up from their slumped position. He had been resting his eyes and mentally cursed that damn girl for making him do what he didn't want to: move. "Are you asking me to search for him? If you are, then you should know that I really do not care where he is."

Sango took his answer with a nod and turned away from him. She bent down to pick up her Hiraikotsu, and summoned Kirara. "Well, if no one is willing to go see where he is, then I will go myself. It seems like I'm the only one who cares enough to look for him."

As she made her way to the entrance of their temporary haven, Kagome shot a death glare at her soon-to-be mate. "Don't let her go out there by herself," she hissed. "Go with her. You can see she's worried sick. Go... with...her."

"Damnit, alright," he growled back, standing to his full height. "I will accompany you," he said to Sango, striding alongside her. "I will not allow you to venture out there alone. But we should make this quick; the night is oncoming and I will be expecting you to make rice."

She smiled up at him optimistically as she adjusted the weapon that rested on her shoulder. "Thank you, Sesshomaru. I really appreciate the help. And I will give you all the rice you can eat."

"Hmph."

* * *

"I can't imagine how she must be feeling," Kagome whispered. "It must be heart-wrenching to not have any idea of whether your mate is alive or not. He's been gone for two days and he could be lying somewhere bleeding to death. That's terrible."

Sesshomaru glanced at the sleeping taijiya. "I am sure that the idiot is still living. He would not dare leave his mate alone. Especially with that damn pervert monk around."

"But he's going to marry Kira."

"I still do not think he is to be trusted."

Kagome slapped her forehead with her palm. While she found it amusing that her soon-to-be didn't trust Miroku as far as he was very willing to throw him, it was still frustrating to hear his talk so horribly about her friend. No matter how right he may be. "So to change subjects, when do you think that we'll be mated? And when are we going to tell everyone?"

"We will be mated when everything with my brother and his mate settles down. I do not think that they need any more distractions in trying to secure a place for their family in the future."

"I agree. But when we _do_ mate, I'm sure it will be wonderful."

"Hmph."

Mumbling in her sleep, Sango rolled over to face the new couple. The look on her face was troubled, and as her eyes fluttered open, she saw the two of them sitting together and scrunched her brow. "Why aren't you sleep, Kagome?" she asked, her words a little slurred.

Kagome rubbed her arms again, trying to find an excuse. "I was... too cold to sleep. And besides, I wanted to help Sesshomaru keep watch over everything in case Inuyasha comes back."

"Oh," Sango said, slowly lifting herself to a sitting position. "Well, at least it's nice to see that you two can now tolerate each other." She pulled her lower limbs into a cross legged position and smiled at them placidly. "I would even say that you look like friends."

"Yeah, about that --" Kagome started uneasily.

"You don't have to explain," she said, waving her hands. "I know that there's nothing going on. I'm just giving you a hard time."

Kagome sighed in tired irritation. She didn't want to hide her secret anymore, no matter what Sesshomaru said. Her best friend needed to know the truth, and she was not about to keep it from her. "Sango, you need to listen --"

But a piercing scream forced its way from Sango's mouth as a sword was plunged into the empty space her cross legs made on the ground. The quick, unexpected motion scared her senseless, and she screamed as loud as her lungs allowed. Sesshomaru flattened his ears against his head in immediate response, and glared at her 'attacker.' Miroku, Kirara, and Mizuki tumbled out of their sleep and rushed to Sango's aid but stopped when they saw the 'offender.' Sango finally recovered her breath long enough to tilt her head back and peer into familiar golden eyes. "You scared me half to death," she said, her voice soft in the deafening silence.

"I'm sorry," Inuyasha apologized. He removed Tetsusaiga from the ground and let his heavy body lower itself next to her. "I thought that you'd need a good scare, as if two days with me missing wasn't enough."

Sango made a grunt of agreement as she pulled him closer to her. She wrapped his hand in hers and rested her head on his shoulder. "I was afraid for you while you were gone, but I knew that you'd come back."

"Lord Inuyasha! You've returned!" Mizuki squealed, grabbing fistfuls of the hero's hakama and hugging his leg. "I was afraid that I'd have to find a new master, but no siree, you are back and I couldn't be happier!"

"Ahem." Miroku cleared his throat loudly, interrupting the reunion. "I hope you didn't forget about Kira." His tone was tight and testy. Now, while he could convince anyone that he was happy to see his friend, he would be more happy to see the woman who would have his children.

"Oh yeah... that." The hanyou lowered his head for a moment, then looked back up at the monk. "Well..."

"She didn't make it?!" Miroku finished for him, eyes brimming with tears. He buried his face in his hands and dropped his body down to his knees. His dark hair fell over his face as he cried into his hands. "I can't believe it," he sobbed, his sorrow muffled through his trembling hands.

"That's terrible," Kagome frowned, standing up and moving to comfort her comrade. She could feel Sesshomaru's disapproving glare at her back as she knelt beside the crying man. "I'm so sorry, Miroku."

Inuyasha ran his hand along his cheek. "I'm sorry. I did all that I could to save her, but that damn Yukito killed her before I got close enough to save her. But hey, you'll bounce back."

"Inuyasha!" Sango reprimanded, slapping his arm. "Be a little more sensitive."

"You're right. I should be a little more comforting. Look Miroku, once I publicly claim my kingdom, I'll let you to choose any lady demon you want to marry, lay with, whatever. You get first pick."

"Inuyasha, what did we just talk about?"

But despite Sango's disbelief at his demeanor, she did notice that Miroku's sniffles stopped and he looked up from his hands. "_Any_ one I choose?" he asked with an unsteady voice.

"Any one that you want, except Sango of course. But any one that you want."

He sniffed one final time, and then nodded. "I feel much better."

The women present just folded their arms over their chests and tsked at him. "I can't believe that you forgot about Kira that fast," Kagome said. "She was supposed to be having your children and when she dies you don't even care."

"Well, at least he's cheered up," Sango sighed, giving her pointed ears a rub. "But I think that there's one thing that we are all overlooking."

"What is that?" Inuyasha asked, cocking his head to the side.

"You have two more boars to kill, assuming that you took care of the two you left with."

"Of course I did! How can you imply that I didn't?"

She shrugged in defense but was saved by Mizuki. "Don't worry about that, Lord Inuyasha. Actually, there is only one left."

"How is that?" Kagome wondered aloud.

Mizuki stood as tall as he could, helping himself feel important. He was the carrier of news, and he prided himself on obtaining privileged information. "See, Lord Inuyasha just defeated Captains Yukito and Ryoma. But before that happened, Ryoma and Yukito killed Nenmu. I was told that it was because they believed that Nenmu had told Lord Sesshomaru to come back to the East with us and kill them. You see, the Captains were afraid of Lord Sesshomaru because they know what he can do, and they are afraid of Lord Inuyasha because they don't know what he's capable of. But either way, three of the four captains are dead, so only Kazuki remains."

Inuyasha paused to let the new information sink into his head, and when he was ready, asked, "so where is Kazuki? Is he at his palace? If he's the last captain I have to get rid of, then I'm sure that it shouldn't be too hard."

"Yes Lord Inuyasha, Kazuki is still at his palace. I heard that he didn't even know that Yukito and Ryoma were going to kill Nenmu. They crept away when Kazuki wasn't around. When they ran into us, they were on their way back home after murdering Nenmu. Actually, to your advantage, everything is working out nicely, my Lord."

"It sure is. Now I can sleep a little better knowing that we are almost there." He raised his arms to the ceiling and stretched, letting out a wide yawn. "Tomorrow morning we are setting out for Kazuki's palace. He's not going to keep me from my goals. Tomorrow, I claim the Eastern Lands as mine."

Sango took a moment to yawn herself, then re-grabbed his hand. "Yep, by this time tomorrow night you will be the Lord of the Eastern Lands. That is very exciting. But I think that we should all get to sleep. I am about to pass out from all this worrying and fatigue. Good night, everyone."

"Goodnight," six voices and a meow called out, each bidding everyone else a peaceful sleep. The mated couple lay next to each other, Inuyasha curling himself around Sango's smaller frame; Sesshomaru refusing to lay down but closing his eyes as he sat against the wall, Kagome lying inches from him; Miroku lightly snoring as he snuggled up in the tail of the enlarged Kirara; and Mizuki huddling in the corner, his head resting on his paws. The group drifted off to sleep, dreaming of everything between sitting on thrones to chugging down rice. It was all quiet, and for one night, they were allowed peace.

* * *

**AN:** I pray that all that made sense because I really didn't edit this. If it doesn't make sense, I am very sorry. Hang on for one more chapter!


	12. Completion

**AN: **All right, here's the last chapter to my sequel to my first fanfic published, which is celebrating its first anniversary today. Enjoy the below text, and review if you want to.

* * *

**Where the Sun Rises**

**Chapter Twelve:** Completion

"Lord Kazuki, there is an Inuyasha here to see you."

"Send him in."

The heavy wooden door opened and Inuyasha stepped inside. He held Tetsusaiga in his hand and a snarl on his face. "What brings you here?" Kazuki asked, rising from his chair.

"You know exactly why I'm here." As he spoke, he began to slowly round the table, his sword held out in front of him. "I'm here to kill you. You are the last one, and I'm not leaving until you are dead."

Kazuki looked at the hanyou curiously as he started to inch away from him. "What do you mean that I'm the last one? What about Yukito and Ryoma?"

Inuyasha continued to walk. "They're dead. I killed them three days ago. Didn't you think it was weird that they left and never came back?"

The boar leader shook his head. "They disappear sometimes and show up later. But... you killed them three days ago?"

"Yep, I fatally stabbed Ryoma, and I cut off Yukito's head. As you could tell, I didn't really like Yukito much. But it doesn't matter, you are the last one and I am about to take your life. I told you I wanted to rule here in the East and you wanted to test me to see how much I wanted it. Well, now you know."

Kazuki took a few steps back. "You're right. I did want to test you, and you passed. So, how about I just relinquish my power and let you take over. As the demon in power, I formally transfer my title to you. How do you like that? See, it's yours now. Will you let me go?"

Inuyasha stared at him, quietly observing. His lack of talking served as a sense of hope for the shaken demon, but when he saw Inuyasha frown and narrow his eyes, clearly the new Lord did not like his proposition. His hope was shot down. "I don't think I want to do that. Y'know, I don't trust you. You _did_ keep company with Yukito, and that bastard didn't have an honest bone in his body. He was a fucking bastard, and I hated him. So to trust you doesn't seem to be in my best interests. And just to be sure about all of this, I think that having you dead would be the best way to go."

Concluding his answer, Inuyasha decided to advance his attack. He quickened his steps, and soon, Kazuki found himself back-pedaling quite fast trying to elude his pursuer. "Y-you really don't have to do this," he stammered, nearly tripping over a chair leg. "I-if you don't d-don't leave me alone, I-I'll call my guards!"

"You can do that, but I don't think they'll hear you," Inuyasha said, still chasing his prey around the long table. "I brought my friends with me, and I think your guards are a little tied up at the moment. So you have _no one_ to help you. Does that scare you? Does that make you afraid? I would be; especially with a demon such as myself wanting this land as badly as I do."

"W-what are you going to do to me?" Kazuki gasped, falling backwards after tripping again on a chair leg. He landed on his back, and gazed up at the approaching demon.

Inuyasha stopped just beyond his trembling hooves. "I'm pretty sure I told you already. I'm going to kill you."

* * *

A squishing sound was heard, paired with a scream. Soon after there was quiet, then the door opened. Inuyasha came out, clutching the head of Kazuki in his clawed hand. "It's finally over," he sighed solemnly. "The Captains are dead, all of them. Now all that's left is to spread the word. Mizuki."

"Yes, my Lord. What do you wish of me?" the ferret immediately responded, hopping to the feet of his master.

"Tell every demon around that power over these lands have officially shifted to me. Tell them that they have nothing more to fear, and that their new Lord and Lady will be presented to them soon."

Mizuki bowed low. "Just as you wish, my Lord."

He watched his loyal servant scurry off, then turned to Sango. He dropped the lifeless head on the ground and gave it a kick, then stretched his arm to grab her hand. She took it and hugged him, lowering her head to his chest. "Sango... our new life is about to begin. Can't you feel it?"

"Yes, Inuyasha, I can. And it feels great."

"Good job, little brother," Sesshomaru cut in, saying his first words since he had joined the group days ago. "I will stay until you are presented to your subjects and your abode is built. But after that, I will be leaving."

Sango broke the embrace between her and Inuyasha and approached the youkai lord. She looked up at him and smiled. "Sesshomaru, I want to thank your for everything you've done for us. I appreciate you making sure I was safe while Inuyasha was away, and I also thank your for being here with us now. I am in your debt."

After she finished, his blank expression did not change. But his eyes gave her a tiny sparkle that said he accepted his words. "I will not hold you to a favor, but there is one thing that I want you to do."

"What is that?"

"Listen to your miko friend. She has something to tell you and you might want to listen this time."

Sango narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him for a moment and then turned to Kagome. "What do you have to tell me?"

Kagome took her turn to walk up to Sango and take her hands into her own. "I was going to say that Lord Sesshomaru decided to become mates and rule in the West. What do you think, isn't it great?"

Sango stood and gaped at her friend. "Why?"

"Well, it's quite simple, actually. I want a castle too, and Sesshomaru wants an heir. It all works out."

The demon slayer hung her head, still trying to understand. Then as quietly as she could utter words but still be heard, she said, "how dare you?"

Kagome's expression shot to surprise. "What?"

Sango raised her head again. "How dare you?" she repeated louder. "How dare you?" her voice rose again.

"What are you talking about?"

"How can you mate Sesshomaru for such a selfish reason? Because you want a castle just because I'll have one? Is that all? Really?"

The questions fired at her confused Kagome. She couldn't understand why she was being attacked like this. "I... don't know. I can't figure out why you are so mad at me."

Sango pulled her hands from Kagome's. "Were you not paying attention during this whole thing? All that crap that me and Inuyasha had to go through to get here? Us being apart for months, fearing each other's death, killing demons left and right? Do you not understand?"

"...no."

"We went through hell to get here!" Sango yelled, her fists balling up. "You have no idea how many tears I cried because I was so worried about him! Every night I was hoping that I didn't get word that he was dead! But I never gave up on him because I loved him so much, and I knew he'd do all he could to make our dream come true. We earned what we are going to have together, and because of your jealousy, you are going to mate with a demon lord that you do not love. All just to get something as shallow as a big house to live in, just so you won't be left out. Just so you can say that you won too."

"Sango..."

"No, you listen Kagome. Finally, the inferior demon slayer gets to have her day. Sure, I may not be as beautiful and desirable as you are to random male demons we come across, but I found one demon who loves me for what I have inside, not just my face. I hope you have beautiful children with Sesshomaru, and I wish you all the best. And hey, you may grow to love him one day. But please, do not tell me this like it is good news."

Kagome could only stare after her as Sango stormed out of the hallway and down the staircase. Inuyasha glanced at her and Sesshomaru, then headed downstairs after his fuming mate. "Sango, please hold on a minute," he called after her, taking the steps a few at a time. He reached her just as she neared the door, and gently grabbed her arm. "What made you blow up like that?"

She turned to him with tears heavy on her eyelashes. "I thought that we were better friends than that. I never thought that she would do something like that just to break even with me. All that time she had demons chasing after and I had no one. And now that I do, she can't handle it. How could she do this and think I'd be happy for her?"

"Wow... I didn't think of it that way."

"Well, it's true. She wasn't happy when we got together, and now she wants be to forget about all that and be happy for her. Y'know what, I don't want her around me anymore. Tell your brother to take her away with him right now. He can drop her off and come back, whatever he wants to do, but I don't want her here anymore. Let me know when she's gone." She opened the door and left.

* * *

Within a month of the Captains being defeated, the castle was finally finished, and the new Lord and Lady were settling into their new dwelling. The pair even allowed many of the lands' demons occupy the numerous empty rooms, just like Lord Inuyasha's brother does in the West. At all hours of the day and night, there was hustle and bustle around the house, trying to set up elegant and elaborate decorations in the rooms and hallways. The dining hall was massive, and meals were always being prepared around the clock for whenever the Lord and Lady were hungry. Even Kirara had her own group of servants, and the neko was almost always found in her room, curled up in her blankets and being stroked, groomed or petted softly.

Currently, the Lord was resting in his colossal bedroom, lying sprawled out on the bed and snoring lightly. The Lady was in the next room over, connected by a short hallway, bathing. When she finished, she walked through the private hallway and into the bedroom. She saw him asleep on the bed, and she laughed under her breath. She thought that he was adorable when he slept, and even when he ate, just like the messy hanyou he was. She was amazed that even though they were considered royalty, neither one of them changed very much. Still, every once in a while they could be found chasing each other around the bedroom and collapsing on the bed, rolling around in giggles. And they could still be spotted spending a quiet afternoon walking through the colorful garden, holding hands and whispering to each other.

But even though she had everything she could possibly want, she sometimes wondered what Kagome was doing at that very moment. She hadn't seen the miko since the day the Captains were killed, and she never made a point of trying to see her, either. The only thing she knew about Kagome was that she was due to have a son a few months from now. _'Goodness, Sesshomaru didn't waste any time in producing an heir, did he?'_ she thought to herself with a smile as she sat on the edge of the bed.

She looked over her shoulder at the slumbering Inuyasha and wondered when she would be ready to have pups. He wanted to impregnate her a few days after he was named Lord of the East, but she said she wasn't ready yet. He said that he wouldn't rush her and that childbirth is a serious business. She agreed and said that she would let him know when she was ready. He had been so understanding and didn't pressure her about it at all, and she appreciated him for it. But lately, she had been thinking about it a lot. Was it time? She didn't know, but hoped it was soon.

She swung her feet onto the bed and drew her robe tightly around her as she rolled over. Her back was now to Inuyasha, and she stared out the window. She pushed her damn hair away from her face and relaxed into the soft, fuzzy blankets. Her eyelids began to droop and sleep started to creep up on her. It was temporarily delayed when she felt Inuyasha's arm drape over her and his hard chest press against her back. He mumbled something incoherent through his sleepy daze, and within moments, his soft snoring could be heard again. She smiled to herself and interlaced her fingers with his. "I love you too," she said, voice barely a whisper. "I love you too."

* * *

**AN: **Whew! Oh my goodness, I am finally finished! These last couple of days have been a doozy! I can't believe that I am done, but here I am. I want to thank everyone who read this and the prequel. I hope I didn't disappoint in cranking out these last chapters as fast as I did. But it's all good. Here's to my year anniversary to the day of when I published my first fanfic! Here's to a great year!


End file.
